A Herd Task Alone and Cattle Sale Preparation

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Activities this week were split between team and individual assignments. Team activities this week were major events in supporting two days dedicated to cattle shipments and cleanup of the herd. I, individually, was assigned tasks to support logistical activities throughout the week as well. For the days that supported cattle shipments, they started with saddling my horse in the morning and moving the target herd to the corrals to be sorted and loaded onto trucks. The heifers and steers that did not make the cut for the buyer, and not identified for retention, were moved to holding pens where they would be loaded and sold the following week. Following shipping days, ranch activities focused on herd cleanup (making sure cattle were located where they were supposed to be), continued equipment cleanup from our use in the forest, and collection of cattle from outlying locations (forest and neighbor ranches).

A new ranch hand learns numerous practical skills during their initial weeks. Most often these skills are learned in a group setting or with a mentor. At some point, leadership will call on you to utilize those skills independently, this week was a prime example of that. There were some steer calves laying in a nearby neighbor’s field that had been missed in the prior week’s activities due to them slipping under the fences before they could be collected. Those calves were identified while collecting heifers from an adjacent field. The senior hand looked at me and said it was time to practice what I have been taught, collect the steers and bring them up to the corrals. Traveling four miles over varied terrain and through multiple fenced paddocks, I was able to successfully bring the calves to the corrals without any incident. Although I didn’t expect a parting of the heavens, nor a lot of pomp and circumstance, I did feel elated that I was able to get the task completed without a wreck, especially considering the last leg of the movement was next to the cows. It became very tricky to keep the steers moving (especially over the water obstacles), but it comes down to training. I had been able to learn, watch, and put into action the skills necessary in many events up to that point, just not alone. Trust in what you learn.

The selection of the buyer seemed to occur without rhyme or reason. In fact, as calves tagged for them were being passed over, I once noted to the buyer they were tagged for them. In a sharp retort, the buyer stated “it’s also about quality, buddy.” To be completely honest, whatever he saw in one animal versus another, I could not tell. For he passed up on great specimens but then selected others that were known to be not as good. But as they say, the buyer knows what the buyer wants, and in this case, that buyer knows what is best for his plan.

I have found that sorting cattle can be more of an art form than it is a science. Sure, there are specific things that one can do to maximize results, but having the knack of timing seems to be even more critical. These skills will directly play into the activities of the coming week. As the Brand Inspector said to me, every day is a learning event. This next week we will be pregnant testing the main herd cows, and I predict there is going to be plenty of time to fine tune those sorting skills.

Submitted by: Tim Bauer
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team