My family ranches in Western Montana, here we raise about 250 head of Black Angus Cattle. This is a week of our craziness which I love, and take so much pride in doing. Here is what some of my day might look like during calving season.
Friday, March 7th
This morning I was up at 6:30 and was out the door by 7 am. I went down to the barn and checked heifers and fed calves. Got in the tractor and started feeding with my uncle. We had a busy morning out in the field feeding, and doctoring calves. We got in from the field at noon like we do everyday and feed calves again and checked heifers down at the barn.
This afternoon we checked cows and then locked up around 4 out in the field.
It was a busy night I checked heifers at 9 and was headed to bed, while at midnight my aunt came up to the house to get me because they needed help down at the barn pulling a calf. The heifer ended up being hip locked and we couldn't pull it so my uncle got the tractor and pulled it that way. I couldn't in a million years think that a calf would have to be pulled with a tractor. The calf ended up dying, and the mom couldn't stand on her own because she didn't have any feeling in her hind legs. So we had to tail her up and help her stand for a while. I got back to bed around 2:30.
Saturday, March 8th
We had 7 calves today. I was up at 6:30 and hit the ground running, and out the door at 7. We fed the cows and got in around noon from the field. My Uncle Larry brought some small square bales over for the barn this afternoon. Since we have so much snow the truck and trailer wouldn't make it up to the ranch so they dropped it off at my uncles house. Lane and I loaded into a pickup truck and hauled it up that way, and then had to throw it up into the loft of the barn. We had about 6 loads. Then around 4 we locked up cows and heifers and feed calves. I checked heifers at 9 and was off to bed. It was a much quieter night tonight.
Sunday, March 9th
Today it was 7 am when I got up due to the time change. I really hate it and I see no point to it. Is there anyone else who feels this way?
I ran out and checked heifers this morning. My cousin Lane was out helping my uncle so I got the afternoon off. Pretty layed back day for me got to hang around the house with my sister and dad. Since this is my spring break and I hadn't even seen my dad for more than maybe 15 minutes when I got home Thursday from school.
Monday, March 10th
I was a little late today I slept till 7. Met my uncle down at the gate to feed the bulls. Hopped in the tractor and headed out to feed the cows. We got in around noon, and fed the calves and checked heifers. There was one going to calve so we locked her up and went and ate lunch. We maybe got a half an hour for lunch and we were back at it again. There was a heifer that couldn't calve on her own so we tried pulling it and that wasn't gonna work we needed a c section so we called the vet around 2 and it took him about 2 hours to get to the ranch. While we were waiting we cleaned the barn and got ready for the vet. The vet didn't think he needed to do a c section so they ended up pulling it and the calve was dead. We finished up there at about 5:30 and had to go lock up cows and heifers, and feed calves. We have snowmobiles to get out to the shed to lock up cows but we have to walk through all the cows to see which ones need locked up ones look like they are going to calve so it takes a while with only 2 of us and over 200 head of cattle in a pasture. I'd say we do pretty good work though.
Tuesday, March 11th
This morning we had 13 calves, it was a busy morning doctoring and feeding. I had to run a sick cow in the shed. She didn't want to go very bad, but I got er done. My uncle said she'll be easy, it will take you a while cause she's so slow. So I get out there and she wants to run every which way but the way shes suppose to go. When I got back to the tractor I said she wasn't easy, and he just laughed. We got in around noon and checked heifers and feed calves. In the afternoon we went to spread straw in the shed so we drove the tractor out and we saw a couple black dots up ahead, and 2 cows were out, so I ran back to the house to get a snowmobile to get them back in. Once we get up too the gate about 15 head are out eating the hay off the wagon. I swear there is never a dull moment. ever. They got the gate open from pushing on it I guess it took the staples holding the chain on, right out of the fence post. OH BOY did I get an earful! Since we were already at the shed we locked up the cows. Then when we got in fed calves and locked up heifers. I checked heifers at 9, and then was off to bed!
Wednesday, March 12th
Early morning like usual, we fed heifers, calves, and bulls and then headed out to feed cows. We had 5 new calves out in the field this morning. We doctored them we give them a shot of penicillin, Bo-Se; which is a selenium shot, and a shot of Vitamin E,A, K. I really hope the calves stay healthy! We cleaned barns this afternoon and checked cows out in the field. We locked up heifers around 4 and fed calves, and then headed back out to the field to lock up cows. We got in around 6 and I checked heifers at 7 and 9 and was off to bed!
Thursday, March 13th
Ahh Thursday already. My week flew by. It seemed like all my days ran together and it really makes me sad :( I really love what I do!! It was hard writing some of this because I couldn't remember all that happened in a day because there was sooo much, but this is just a little of the exciting stuff that happens. We honestly work from 6 in the morning till 7 at night if were lucky and and your always up in the middle of the night checking heifers or pulling calves, or something exciting like a c section or a heifer that can't stand and you have to help her at 12 in the morning for who know how long! :)
We had exciting day today. Woke up at 6 was down at the barn at 6:30 and fed the calves and heifers, and let the heifers out of the barn, I beat my uncle down today so I thought I get started on things :) Lots of calves out in the field doctored them and feed cows. We got in a little early today, fed the calves at lunch and got a little over an hour in for lunch which was nice cause I got a little nap in :). This afternoon we went and shoveled out the water tank, and plowed snow so we could move pairs on Saturday to the pasture that is right next to the calving pasture. We do this so there aren't so many cows and calves in the calving pasture, and gives them more room to run around in. We locked up cows and then went in to lock up heifers and feed the calves. There were a couple heifers that looked like they were going to calve so I had to check them at 7 and yep there was one calving so I called my uncle and he came up and we gave her a half an hour but she didn't do anything so we pulled it about 8. Then there was another one calving in the barn so we ran her in and gave her about a half an hour. She wasn't going to calve on her own so we pulled this one too. She also hip locked and it was hard getting the calf out, but we did!! Our heifers have been having a hard time calving on their own because the calves are so big, I'm not kidding they are the size that we usually brand them at and that's when they are about 2 - 3 months old. So kinda big! The mom that hip locked couldn't stand on her own so we had to help her up, by tailing her up and helping her stand there. We did that for about an hour and a half and then let her be, so at midnight we got up again to help her stand and we got in around 1:30. It was a long night but everything turned out alright, and I THANK GOD everyday!
Friday, March 14th
I was a little tired today haha, but I was up at 6:30. I stood the cow up that couldn't stand last night up and she was doing good this morning I didn't even have to hold her up, but she needed a little assistance getting up:) So my uncle fed the heifers and bulls while I did that and made sure her calf sucked. We had 6 calves up at the shed this morning we doctored them and fed the cows. It was sure quiet in the tractor this morning I think we were both pretty tired. I don't know how my uncle does it by himself, he's a pretty dang hardworking man! This afternoon we spread straw and cleaned the shed out, the shed gets cleaned about every other day and the barns get cleaned everyday! We locked up out at the shed around 4 and then we sorted some pairs into a different pasture. Then headed back in and locked up heifers and fed calves. I checked the heifers at 7 and 9 and got to go home and stay the night :)
