Ammon hops over the fence to help Darren separate a calf . . .
. . .to send into the chute.
Ammon hooks the calf's nose while Joseph prepares to immunize the calf.
Jacob trims the ears while Ammon holds the calf's head steady. Obviously this is a different calf then the previous photo.
The calf gets branded with our 'Flying W'...
...while the air fills with the scent of burning hair. And what do the calves think of all this?
Some make a little noise.
Others bawl a whole lot.
And some just can't wait for it all to be over.
Don't worry Ira, we only do this to cows.
The farm kids all watch from the safety of the truck...
...because we're in the same section as the mamas
who don't like what we're doing to their babies.
I can't forget the good ol' cow dog Flint
who likes to pick up after the branding
calf ears, yummo!
10 comments:
I guess that is something we city folk don't think about-cow ears!! It's cool to hear about it, but I wouldn't want to be there! I don't think I could watch.
I would watch my grandpa do this to his cows from time to time. My dad told me that when I turned 12, they would have to brand and de-horn me too. I was afraid of turning 12.
man, those are some big cows. i'm used to little milking cows.
Oh boy, the calf ears at the end kind of did me in. I would have made a lousy pioneer.
hey now, when did you buy the cows! did you always have them? btw, i LOVE the pics!
Aaaah, branding! Our annual branding trip is a highlight for us. My niece once pocketed a few pieces of calf ear and took them to school for show and tell. They were a hit! :-)
Oh my gosh that looks like such fun! I know it sounds sad cause you're branding cattle, but I've always wanted to do that.
Jia
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Your own private rodeo! That's a lot of work. I thought that your husband wasn't too excited to get into cattle. Has he changed his mind? I would love to have beef from a local rancher, where I knew more what they were raised on. What other animals do you have?
Awesome post! A glimps of 'a day in the life of'.
It tells a great little story.
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