Larkspur Management and Methods of Castration

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This week consisted of finishing [up] our trailing cows up the mountain. To prepare the pastures for the cows to spend their summer up there, we went [to check] and fix fence. We also started to look for historic places for poisonous plants.

In this region, Larkspur is the main poison[ious plant to address] that is dealt with, especially in the mountains. Unfortunately, there [are]is not a lot of alternative means of managing this plant. Spraying it is still the most effective means. We used Escort to spray. During this [experience] I got to learn about identifying the plant in varying stages of growth, and how to safely apply the spray.

We also went to the association to vaccinate the calves for their second round. This is what gives the calves more annual protection from illnesses. During this process they are also [given an] overall health check, and I found out why there ended up being multiple calves that needed to be doctored for varying reasons.

This week the concept I challenged was the concept of banding versus castrating. I have been a believer in cutting, over banding, I feel like it is more ethical and sure way to process steers.

[However,] I was taught that this is not always so simple. Because the alfalfa is so rich here, it thins the blood and makes the calves extremely prone to hemorrhaging. I learned that you really have to base your practices based off of what works for your operations in your region.