The Screaming of the ....

The screaming of the calves and Mamas enters it's 3rd day.

We have 2 500+ lb calves from our show cattle.

Last Monday we banded the boys.

This time we tried something new.

Generally we have hauled them to our friend who is a vet and he's cut them on the trailer.

Then last year or so we've flipped them over like you see at a calf roping event.

Sometimes we tie 3 legs together but other times I just hold the calf down while S bands them.

S sprained his ankle a month ago.

Let's just say he's a little less tough than I am but he's also 13 yrs. older and that's a story left unsaid.

Anyway he didn't want to throw the calves down this year.

I walked them into a small chute we have leftover from our team roping arena days.

As I held the tail straight up S knelt down and banded them.

WTH that was so much less stressful on both ends.

Simplify whenever possible, it works wonders.

The 2nd calf which is LN's steer for next year (fingers crossed) was challenging for a different reason.

 

He, Pinky, is a tank at 535# and thick and stocky.

 

Apparently his sack was "full" so S didn't have much maneuvering room to move everything down into the bander and then take the bander off leaving the band behind in place.

 

He struggled for a few minutes but it worked.Ron was easier to do.

He weighed in at 508# at 6 wks younger than Pinky.

 

 

 

He'll be sold after weaning is complete.

He'll make a good 1st steer for someone as he's gentle and friendly and broke.

LN is only showing 1 at a time so off he'll go.

So anyway after that long explanation, I left them for a week with their Moms after banding to reduce the stress.

Monday we weaned them completely.

OMG do they scream.

 

Ron and his Momma, Diamond are the worst.

They are now squeaking and getting hoarser as the day moves on.

When I weaned them I took them out of their sight of each other.

The calves went into the steer pen in back of the barn.

Today after mowing their outside pen electric fence line to beef up the volts I turned them out of the barn to exercise.

The screaming started again with them now seeing each other from afar across several fences/pens.

I know it needs done but dang my ears hate it every year.

 

My tough girl, LN actually cries because she feels so bad for them.

If only her opponents on the pitch knew how sensitive she was.

 

Crazy weather too here.

It's dry and now getting hot again with high 80*s predicted again.

Hello Fall please show up again!

 

 

I wish I was there !

Someday , someday, someday....