Irrigation Systems, Herding, and Bottle Feeding
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This week, regarding irrigation, we spent a lot of time working on the pivot and repriming it when it kept turning off. I got a lot of practice priming the pivot with assistance from a river screen, as well as cleaning sprinkler heads in between towers that were clogged during the priming process. I [also] continued to practice setting dams this week.
Beyond ranch irrigation duties, I was able to participate in the removal of a lattice rebar structure placed under the headgates that allow water to flow to the Pratt and Ferris ditches. This rebar had become warped and was catching garbage from the creek, creating difficulty in the closing of the headgates and causing the ditches to flood. To remove this rebar, a group of people set a large dam in front of the headgates to limit water flow, and then chained the rebar and pulled it out. It was very interesting to observe the teamwork that made this event successful to allow those ranches who receive water from these ditches to have more control over water flow.
With respect to the feeding of the cows, the ranch began haying this week. The process of haying includes the three steps of swathing, raking, and baling, all in perfect timing to maximize dryness and protein content of the hay. The ranch will both save and sell the hay they produce.
Overall, I spent this week herding cows on horseback, learning how to bottle feed and give shots to a calf with scours, setting up electric fencing, moving feeders, and just participating in all the practices necessary to keep the complex system of a ranch operational.
This week, I will challenge the concept of keeping cow/calf pairs together when moving them. I wonder what the easiest way would be to keep pairs together while they’re moving to prevent cows from separating from the herd and running back to look for their calves. Keeping pairs together also prevents calves from being left behind to hide at the last place they ate but there may be no easy way to prevent pair separation. I believe this would be an important element of low-stress herding techniques.
How does adding garlic to mineral feed protect cows from flies? How do you help a cow who has injured its eyes with seeds? What do you do when a cow is dehydrated? How do you prevent the buildup of mud in a pivot from priming it? What is the most effective way to set up a flood irrigation dam? How do you move bales of hay to a stack yard?
I plan to use what I’ve learned over the past week to continue pursuing learning how to herd cattle more effectively on horseback, as well as how cows react to verbal commands. I want to continue researching the effects of overgrazing on the soil health of pastures, and how the second grazing of new growth is especially inhibitory to proper grazing management.
