The next morning, I looked out, and spotted it again, and this time it was nursing on the mare from the big team. She shouldn’t have been pregnant! She never spent any time with any of the studs last spring, always separated at least by a fence. Her belly had been looking mysteriously big the last while, but it was decided that she found lots to eat this winter and was just fat. Errol went out, brought her and her baby to the yard for a little look see. Baby was as big as the foals already 2 weeks old, and solid. No mistake that she is that mare’s baby. As we pieced the mystery together, we decided that the stud that was gelded last spring must have made his last hurrah before being snipped and knocked up ol’ Bonnie through the fence. He’s not very big compared to Bonnie (I maybe come to the bottom of her shoulder if I stand really straight), so it would have been quite the feat. Still no immaculate conception, just incredible acrobatics.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Surprise!
The next morning, I looked out, and spotted it again, and this time it was nursing on the mare from the big team. She shouldn’t have been pregnant! She never spent any time with any of the studs last spring, always separated at least by a fence. Her belly had been looking mysteriously big the last while, but it was decided that she found lots to eat this winter and was just fat. Errol went out, brought her and her baby to the yard for a little look see. Baby was as big as the foals already 2 weeks old, and solid. No mistake that she is that mare’s baby. As we pieced the mystery together, we decided that the stud that was gelded last spring must have made his last hurrah before being snipped and knocked up ol’ Bonnie through the fence. He’s not very big compared to Bonnie (I maybe come to the bottom of her shoulder if I stand really straight), so it would have been quite the feat. Still no immaculate conception, just incredible acrobatics.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Oysters and Desert Ranching
We were up and at the house for breakfast by 6 Saturday morning. The first of the crew were coming to round up and sort out the calves at 8, so we had to be ready for them. By 8:30 we were in the truck heading to the pasture lead the herd of 200 in with a hay bale, in a sort of pied piper fashion.
Over 50 people came to take in the first branding of the season. Since our branding and vaccinating is much less formal and takes only a couple of hours, this was an event that was totally unique and fun to watch for us. My uncle had jobs for my parents and Errol, but wouldn’t let me wrastle, vaccinate or handle the branding iron, so I was the official videographer.
Each job is necessary. The riders can more easily spot and catch the calves that need to be tended to. The wrastlers immobilize the calves so that the rest of the crew isn’t being kicked by the 200lb feisty 4-legged creature. The branding so that when the cows and calves are let out into the community pastures, the pasture manager can quickly tell which cows and calves belong to which rancher. Most important for when they are sorted and returned to the ranch in the fall. Vaccinating is necessary to keep the herd healthy through the summer and immune to things like the common cold and insects, which can do serious harm. Since only a few bulls are needed to keep the herd going, castrating garners a higher price in the fall. And the marking, well… the big yellow strip means you only pick on a calf once, reducing the amount of stress it goes through during the day.
My dad did the branding (and singed all sorts of hair on his neck, beard and around his ears), my mom vaccinated (and even managed to stick herself with the end of the needle during the last few calves) and Errol wrastled and then roped. He heeled (caught by the back legs) 3 calves. Pretty good for a rookie, having only had a short practice session the night before, and never on a horse! With all the neighbours helping, everything was done by 5 and through supper by 7. Many neighbours stayed for the first “nut feast” of the season. A tradition long held in the south… they batter the bull calf testies and fry ‘em up. Some circles even consider them a delicacy. Everyone gathered in a giant semi-circle around my uncle and the BBQ like a bunch of hungry coyotes, waiting with their toothpicks to snag as many as possible as the bowl went by. Given I’ve tried all sorts of crazy foods, I would have tried on in a heart beat IF I wasn’t pregnant. But I figured it wasn’t a good idea to introduce possibly hormone rich foods into my diet, so I avoided them. Errol tried one, even chewed it a little, before swallowing and chasing it with a coke.
If you want to play cowboy or cowgirl, I recommend checking one out. They are worth the drive, and definitely an exciting experience! Make sure to have an oyster for me.