Cute right? That is Martha, born 3/18/14 on the left and my Daughter "Gabby", going on 8. Unfortunately, that is NOT an exit from the cattle chute, but rather just a 6" or so gap between two frame sections. Martha's head made it through, but not without taking off some paint. The rest of her didn't have a chance. Took us awhile to get her to work herself free, first one year, then another. You would think a ~14 week old calf would be easy to work - wrong. I made the mistake of trying to block her escape in our cattle run - and she plastered me against one of the walls. I have the marks on my back to prove it...
Anyhow, to the subject of this post: if she was a few weeks younger she would have been able to back out easily. A few weeks older and she never would have gotten her head through. They grow up SO fast.
Anyhow, to the subject of this post: if she was a few weeks younger she would have been able to back out easily. A few weeks older and she never would have gotten her head through. They grow up SO fast.
On the other end of the scale is Borka. He is a 1550lb Steer overdue for butchering. The plan was to do him this spring, but our spring didn't quite work out as planned. All I can say is that I'm real happy we didn't buy the lighter duty squeeze chute. And no, I'm not standing in a hole - Borka's back is well over my 5'10" shoulders.
Anyhow, today was "cattle day". We moved them last night into the field with the corral (last years project, although it still needs work). Today was weighing, pour on dewormer (scratch one $100 bottle of dewormer, but its the dung beetle friendly type), castration banding and association tetanus antidote injections for two of the boys.
We are up to 23 head of cattle now, feeling like the herd is just about the right size. We will need to find a home for Larry, Borka has an appointment we need to make, and if the new butcher is fair, we will be selling Curly and Moe for meat.
Anyhow, today was "cattle day". We moved them last night into the field with the corral (last years project, although it still needs work). Today was weighing, pour on dewormer (scratch one $100 bottle of dewormer, but its the dung beetle friendly type), castration banding and association tetanus antidote injections for two of the boys.
We are up to 23 head of cattle now, feeling like the herd is just about the right size. We will need to find a home for Larry, Borka has an appointment we need to make, and if the new butcher is fair, we will be selling Curly and Moe for meat.
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