Spring Cow Work and Running Selfies

We had a great weekend on the farm this past weekend! I did not have any track meets over the weekend, so I got to spend a lot of time with Jeff and got to help on the farm and with the cows. 

Sunday especially was a big day for cow work. It was time for vaccinations and branding of our heifers. Tom, Jeff, and I were in charge of that operation. The heifers have been at the corrals at our house (Me and Jeff) over the winter, so Jeff and I worked together to get them rounded up and ready to load. Tom came over with the trailer and we brought them to the corrals at their place to work. We use the corrals over there for working cattle because they are much better set up for that and there is a working squeeze chute. 

We got the cows over there and then took a break to get organize and prepare everything we would need. I got to write out the ear tags that the heifers would be receiving.  When our calves are born, we give them an ear tag with the same number as their mama. Once we decide on the heifers we are going to keep for our herd, they get a new number all of their own. Their permanent ear tags contain the information as to who each of their parents are and their own, new number, which is assigned according to a system that comes from the American Simmental Association. (We raise Simmental beef). 

The top small number refers to the number of the bull that was the sire and the lower small number refers to the cow that was the heifer's mother. This year is a "B" year according to the Simmental Association, so all of our tags have a B on them. Then they go in numerical order picking up from where we left off last year. Last year's highest numbered cow was A-53, so this year we started with B-54. 

We wrote the tags with a paint pen and then we went on to our next task, which was at-home veterinary work on our little calf, Benjamin, who is healing his broken leg.

Seriously, that coat! How handsome is he?!

If you remember from earlier in the calving season, this calf had accidentally been stepped on by a cow when he was a newborn. Tom took him to the vet where the Vet Techs decided he was too cute not to have a name and called him Benjamin. The name stuck. He's had a series of casts and splints on his leg and this time we were to replace some of the bandages on our own at home. Jeff had hold of the rope to keep Benjamin secure while Tom replaced the bandages and I was the attending nurse, helping hand supplies to Tom. Benjamin is getting bigger and stronger all the time and is doing really well. I was impressed with how patient he was with us as we changed his dressings. He was perfectly still and cooperative. I guess he's pretty used to people by now. 

Harvey was a huge help throughout the day! ha.

After a break for lunch, we were ready to get going on working the heifers. They were a group of 14 animals. We don't automatically brand our calves each year like most ranches do, we only do the heifers that we are keeping. Out of the fourteen, nine would belong to me and Jeff and five to Tom and Carol, and they received the appropriate brands respectively. 

J3 is the brand that Jeff and I use, on the right rib. Tom and Carol's is LES on the left hip. 

When the girls were in the chute receiving their brands, they also got their new ear tags, a vaccine shot, and some de-wormer. The vaccine and de-wormer are steps we take to keep the animals healthy, happy, and productive. It was my job to remove the old ear tags and use the piercing gun to apply their new ones (just like getting your ear pierced). I also managed the cords for the brands, since we use electric brands. 

Even with only the three of us, the process went by very smoothly and took only a little more than an hour to do all fourteen heifers as well as our two new bulls. Before they knew it, the girls were back on grass munching away! 

If you're observant, you can tell that this photo was actually taken before branding.
Bonus points if you can tell me how you'd know! :)

 Later that afternoon, I took some time to go for a run. I did 5.5 miles, heading north from Tom and Carol's house. My hip that had been bugging me did fine and overall I felt great. The weather was perfect for running- about 55, sunny, and not really any wind. Harvey and Abby both came with me. Harvey ran A TON and pointed and flushed several pairs of Hungarian Partridge along the way. He had a great time!

He also photobombed this photo I tried to take using my self-timer...

 I also tried out my new Oiselle Embossed Roga shorts on this run. These were really awesome and very comfortable shorts! No chafing, no riding up, and super wicking. I also loved that they were a good neutral color but that the embossed pattern spiced it up just a little bit. The only thing that bothered me was the drawstring on the inside, which, for some reason, was sort of scratchy. I can always pull that out though, so no big deal. I know I'll wear these shorts as often as I can. :)

I felt pretty strong mentally and physically not only about my run but about how the entire day had gone. I felt like I had made a positive contribution on the farm and ranch, and I got to work with people and animals that I love. Also, I believe that farming and ranching and FITNESS can go together and today was a day when they all definitely did! Pretty good weekend!