Tractor Time and Branding

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This week was a long one, full of more tractor time and checking cows. I learned the criteria for measuring moisture levels in cut hay by feeling how dry it is. Elden showed me how to pick up the cut hay and at the bottom of the pile you find a green stem and try to peel off some skin with your thumb. If it easily peels time to bale it. I also spent a lot of time learning how-to pick-up bales and load them onto the truck, there [are]is two hay racks (trucks). One of the trucks can fit 8 bales or 4 side by side and the bigger truck fits 10 with 2 rows of 5.

I also got to partake in some branding of two baby steers and their mamas. This was an interesting process because the chute was set up for left brands only and this bunch needed a right hip brand. The two small steers had to be flipped and tied down in a pen to get access to the hip to brand. Whereas the two mamas could be in the big cattle squeeze with a big enough opening to fit a brand[ing] ironing through. It was important to brand these cattle to keep them separate from the Baldwin brand, since they’re a part of a different ranch brand.

This week I learned and came to realize just how tedious cutting, raking, baling and stacking hay bales is. I’m interested in how to expedite the process. When baling alfalfa, it is smartest to bale when the dew sets in at night, so that the alfalfa sticks together and the bale won’t fall apart. So that requires an early morning start to the day.

I had a long-time moving hay bales and putting them into groups of 8 or 10 to load onto the trucks. I think we had to do around 375-400 bales. My solution to my struggles would be a machine capable of cutting, drying and baling hay in one process. I think this would have the potential to save growers a lot of time that goes into putting up one cutting of a field.

When we branded the 4 cows, they got a shot of vaccine to comply with USDA standards so I wondered about the process of each. Do some counties require a traditional brand before being purchased and sold? Besides keeping your cattle separate from the neighbors how important are brand to ranchers.

Brand locations and what each brand character means. How do you choose a brand? When is the best stage in the cow’s life to give a brand? What is the advantage of a brand over an ear tag? How are vaccinations in cattle documented and tracked. How many head of cattle can a single bale feed? How long until the snow is too deep before putting out bales for feed?

[I plan to] continue to build my knowledge and confidence in running equipment and operating the tractor with a bucket. If I plan to have my own cattle I can now brand or give a vaccine to them after learning how. [I] understand the importance of taking the time to wait until hay is ready to be baled. Elden told me a story of someone who came out to cut and bale on their circle of hay, the hay was too wet and was ripping up teeth in the baler. He ended up creating too heavy of bales so when the semi-trailer was loaded it was too heavy and ended up getting quite the ticket from the D.O.T. scale. So I think I’ll learn from other people’s mistakes and past experiences just as much as my own.