Party til the cows come home...

Ever hear that saying "Party til the cows come home!!"?  Well... I guess our party's over because we brought the cows home a while back!!  Every rancher has a different set up in terms of locations, pasture availability, winter feeding or grazing programs, calving season, etc...  There is no right or wrong answers but you have to make the best use of what resources you have available.  It might even vary year to year within an operation, so the key is flexibility! 

In our case, we happened to end up with an unused pasture last summer so it made perfect early winter grazing for a set of our cows.  Some of our cows went to cornstalks last fall (you can read all about it here and here) but the balance were able to go to this pasture.  The grass goes dormant so that means it quits growing, but if it hasn't been grazed all summer, there is plenty for them to eat.  As it dries down after the first few freezes, it's sort of like the cows eating dry hay but they do the work so you don't have to cut, bale, store and feed! Plus they get more exercise out walking and grazing pastures instead of waiting for their next meal to be delivered!  It's really a WIN-WIN for all of us!!

Watching the process from my rear view mirror!

But as they say, all good things must come to an end.  When the grass is sufficiently eaten down, the weather has turned colder, calving season is nearing, or any combination of these... it's time to bring the girls home.  This year was the first time we actually let the cattle walk home.  It is about 2 miles from our house to the pasture in question, so it wasn't too far.  The alternative is to gather them and load them onto trailers to haul them home.  Since the kids are getting older, the weather was beautiful, and this particular set of cows is very quiet to work, we decided to bring them home via horseback. 

With Nate on his mare, Tilly, and Ally on her mare, Paige, we let the kids practice their skills and head of the process.  Gail had a 4-wheeler to follow up and prevent strays and I was in the lead with the pickup and some hay to entice the girls to follow me down the road.  Nate was in charge of keeping the cows out of the neighbor's fields, while Ally was bringing them down the road. 


My passengers were VERY helpful in the whole process!!

Everything went smooth and they were settled into their new location in less than two hours.  Good help, good cows, and a good time!!  Even the dogs got in on the action... Just another day in the life on our little Nebraska farm!!

Field of Dreams...AFTER



Nate delivering posts around the perimeter of the field

If you're keeping up, you would have read yesterday's post about last fall's harvest in southwest Nebraska.  If you missed it, you can catch it here! 

As I was explaining in that post, the leftover cornstalks, leaves, and bits of corn make an awesome spot for our cows to get some winter forage but there's one little problem... FENCE!



Most of the corn fields are not surrounded by permanent fence as it creates difficulty getting equipment around.  Like lots of other cattlemen in the area, we are responsible for building a temporary fence that's economical, quick to put up and take down, and most importantly, secure enough to keep the cattle in a safe place. 

Ally attaching insulators to hold the wire.

The first step in a successful fencing project is the right supplies and a great crew.  Like most cattle producers, we use a simple, temporary single wire fence that is electrified.  It's amazing how the cattle know to stay away from it.  It doesn't hurt them (or us for that matter) if they touch it but it's enough of a deterrent that you don't do it again anytime soon!   

Nate is adding the wire to the insulators.

We put in temporary metal posts, attach insulators to hold the wire, and then run a metal wire around the outside of the field.  It's a team effort and it goes pretty fast when everyone pitches in.  This year the ground wasn't frozen yet and the weather was awesome so it wasn't too tough.  We've had other years when the ground is so dry or frozen that you can hardly pound a post in and the weather is less than cooperative. 

 

 

 A word of caution when you live in a small town and build fence on the highway... you get a lot of "honks" and visitors who stop to chat!  It's always fun to see who will stop in and offer to lend a hand! (Or just watch us work in most cases!!)

 

At the end of the day, we make sure the fence is electrified all the way around and usually leave it for several days so the deer learn that it's there.  They will knock it down for a few days but eventually they learn to jump over it.  Once this happens, the cows can be turned out to the Field of Dreams.  As long as the weather is kind, this is a great spot for them to do some late fall / early winter grazing until they come home for calving!

Happy cows in their "Field of Dreams"

 

Weekend Entertainment... ranching style

Some people might go to the movies or the mall on a Saturday afternoon, but we had much BIGGER plans... we headed out to the middle of nowhere to check cows.  I have to admit I was a little impressed with all the different activities we came up with in our little road trip.  Here's just a sampling of our afternoon

One of the calves thought a dip in the pool (aka stock tank) might feel good but  the kids coaxed her back out.

We searched high and low to make sure all the cows and calves were accounted for.  (Think scavenger hunt in a few hundred acres).

Ally got to practice her photography skills and try to capture some shots for  her 4-H project.

We actually checked cows while we were there...

A little father - son time.  Wonder what they are talking about?!

Bath time for one of the babies!

Canyon jumping... it should be a new olympic sport.

Watch out below...................

Not to be out-done by her brother....  Ally takes the plunge!

We found a wild blackberry tree on our way out and picked a few for the long ride home!

 So if you ever find yourself bored some weekend, give us a call and we'll see if we can't entertain you for a little while!

Cattle... a family affair

Things have been a little hectic around the Rippe Ranch but I couldn't resist posting some of the pictures I took a few months ago.  Every year before the cows and new calves go to grass for the summer, they have to be worked.  They all get vaccinations to prevent diseases and keep them healthy, just like kids do.  We also give them a pour on product to help with fly control during the summer.

There has been a lot of discussion in the news and social media the last few months due to the legislation that would eliminate kids being able to work or help out on the farm.  I'm the first one to promote safety and, believe me, we are watching them like a hawk when they are out with us.  However, I couldn't help but think about all the things I had read by supporters of the bill as we worked our cow herd.

It's not so much the "labor" they provide at this age, but more about the quality family time we are having together and the work ethic that we are instilling.  The kids LOVE to be involved and feel like they are helping contribute to the task at hand.  Besides that, we are teaching our kids where food comes from, all about beef production, and how to appreciate what farmers and ranchers all across America do for us on a daily basis.

Even the family dogs get involved in action!!!

We always find age-appropriate tasks for the kids.  For example, Nate was in charge of handing syringes and equipment to his dad, and Ally recorded all of the tag information for every critter that came thru the chute.  After Gail and I sorted all the calves off the cows, Ally and Nate were in charge of getting them up to the barn.   Pushing calves is a great way for them to learn cattle handling skills in a safe manner and they are a big help to us!

This also gives them a chance to check out all the calves and decide which ones would make the best 4-H calves to take to the fair too!!

It was a big day but we had a great time working together and the kids were a HUGE help.  Sure, we could have done it without them, but it wouldn't have been near as much fun! 

The importance of good communication

Last Monday, our secretary at work took a strange message from our neighbor. The note I got said “Jim called. He said your cattle got on the trucks fine.” I thought about it for quite a while and finally decided he either called the wrong number or he had officially lost his mind. To our knowledge, we weren’t shipping, receiving, or otherwise doing anything with our own cattle. I dismissed it as nothing more than odd but went over and mentioned it to the hubby prior to leaving work. He had the same initial reaction as I did but we agreed to check the cows later just in case.


After doing chores at a leisurely pace, I went back to the house to start supper. About that time the phone rings… the 6 yr old answers and says “It’s dad. He says it’s an EMERGENCY”. When I pick up the phone all he says is “STALKS! The cows are out on Jim’s STALKS!” By this time it’s nearly 5:00 and daylight is burning fast. As per my instructions, I was to leave the kids at the house and head to the cows as fast as my 4-wheeler would take me. By the time hubby met me at said location, I had determined that about 30 head were in fact missing. It was already getting dark and the cattle were black so things were not looking good for the home team. I headed west on the 4-wheeler and I have no idea where he headed.

I should probably mention a few details to catch you up to speed with the scene… 1) cell phone service is rather hit and miss in our part of the world so our means of communication was pretty much non-existent unless you happen to hit a lucky spot on a hill. 2) Hubby didn’t take time to get the other 4-wheeler so his two options were his pickup and walking. 3) Hubby was supposed to be unloading cattle at work so there was a slight sense of urgency beyond our own issues at home. 4) I have not quite adjusted to the time change and didn’t quite understand that it would in fact be pitch black in a matter of minutes.

So with that, we are both out searching for said cows. I finally came across some tracks after what seemed like forever. Feeling rather Indian-like in my ability to track prey, I starting following them and checked to see if I had signal to alert hubby of my great skill. When I did reach him, all I got amongst the static was “HEAD WEST. THE COWS ARE WEST. GET OVER HERE NOW!!!” By the time I got there, he was 2 miles west of our house and was on foot attempting to herd 30 uncooperative cows back home. Keep in mind that gathering cows who’ve been out joyriding for the day is much like herding cats thru a rainstorm. We headed in the general direction of our pasture and by the time we got there it was nearly dark. We had just finished getting the gate shut when we heard a crash and a lot of rustling. Somebody had the bright idea to jump the fence and take about 10 of their best friends with them. Now we had cows in three different sections all separated by trees and fence. We finally got them all back together and were about to shut the gate when I heard more rustling. At this point it was pretty well dark but we figured out there was one lone cow left in the trees. She was less than cooperative coming out and in the meantime the others were circling back and coming back in. After some colorful language, a foot race, a broken gate, and something about the salebarn, they were finally all together in a new pasture. We still had to go fetch hubby’s pick up which was about 3 miles from the house and then he was off to work again.

The next morning I realized I had missed a call during the ordeal. It was a colorful, urgent message of his discovery of the cows and his request for my assistance at his location. I laughed out loud when I finally heard the message. So after our big adventure, it seems instead of “He said your cattle got on the trucks fine” it was actually “Your cattle are out on STALKS that are MINE!”

Communication people…. It’s important!!

Fair Daze... Part I - The Cattle Show

Things are still a zoo around here with trying to recover from the fair and also cramming two months worth of activities into the remaining 9 days before school starts!  I have LOTS to brag about from the county fair so it might take a few posts.  Allison did an awesome job with her first year of 4-H and Nathan had a blast participating in Clover Kids (pre-4-H) for the first time too.  These are just a few shots from show day.  All the 4-H kids worked so hard all summer getting ready for the big day.  I'm proud of all of them!  Hopefully I will get more posted soon, but this will have to do for now!  We're off to a bridal show in central Kansas today!!!

Here she is with Nila.  And for those of you that know cattle, Nila is only 1/4 Hereford. The rest is Angus and Simmental!

Ally and Rocky.  They don't get any cuter than this!!!