Utilizing a Fly Rub
#bfrdpwy #aginternship #RightRisk
This week we went to a property that my host is leasing in Montana where the fences were down. The cattle got mixed in with the neighboring property. While we were gathering the cattle, I learned the best way to herd and separate the cattle without having them scatter and run away. Along with collecting my host’s cattle, we needed to put some new pipe in the ground which gave me the opportunity to learn about how a skid steer can be used to dig a trench. The pipe was placed in the trench and covered back up with soil so nothing could disturb it. I also learned about fly rubs and what they are used for; fly rubs are rubs that you can put up and the cows can rub themselves against it. We soak the fly rubs in fly repellent, this way the cows can scratch themselves, as well as help get rid of some of their flies.
An area I challenge this week is the fact that some of the fences on the property in Montana were not in the best shape. I would say that fixing those fences should be more of a priority that way we wouldn’t have to worry about separating out the cows and putting them back where they need to be. My host has started cutting the grass this week for hay. There has been a lot of rain lately so he waited to cut the grass until it was dryer; however, I would challenge that he waited a little too long to start cutting. Hay is very important for providing food for the cows in the winter. I believe despite the rain, cutting the grass could have been started earlier in the month. I also challenge the idea of using electric fences as a temporary fence. Electric fences are fairly easy to set up and break down and they work well for keeping the cattle in place. However, it is easy for the smaller calves to slip under the electric fence and they end up in areas they are not supposed to be in.
We have been getting a good amount of rain lately so we have not started irrigating the property yet. I have never irrigated before so I have questions about how the irrigation systems work and how to run them. If the rain stops I also wonder how long we will be irrigating for. I believe we will need to irrigate eventually, so I am sure I will learn more about this process later in the internship. My host has been using a swather to cut the grass for hay. I do not know very much about cutting hay so I have questions about how the swather works to cut grass and how the grass is rolled into bundles and becomes hay. I hope to learn about this more next week when my host continues to cut the grass and when we start rolling the grass and creating hay bundles.
I hope to raise animals of my own someday and possibly have my own cattle operation. I plan to use the knowledge I have learned about rotating cattle and what types of plants and grass I want to have on my property. I will remember that having good fencing is important because I have first hand experience with what happens when animals get out and end up in places they are not supposed to be. Also, I will be able to build my own electric fences if I decide that I want them someday. If I live somewhere where I need to irrigate and hay in order to provide grass for my animals, I will have more knowledge about what equipment I would need to use and how that process works. I had never heard of a fly rub before, but now that I know about the benefits of it, I might use it for my own animals someday to help them manage the flies.
Submitted by: Leiana Andrade Stout
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team
