Age?

[greybeard]

It's a sticky in the photo contest section.
As far as I know, alisonb has the keys to it.

 

[CowboyRam]

I kinds started late in life. Spent most of my adult life in the construction business in northwest Colorado. I helped my uncle on his ranch some, but not to much; I was to busy trying to make a meager living. When I was in my early 40's dad bought a farm here in Riverton, and I ended up moving up here to help him out some; I mostly helped him feed in the winter. I taught the construction trades at the community college for a few years until they shut down my program. I was not until my divorce about six years ago that I really got into the farming; I sold some property and bought some farm equipment. I was going to put our own hay; that first year was rough, spent a lot of money on my baler, and our hay was not all that great. Dad and I decided buy a few head of cows to feed it to, we had about twenty some head. We ended up upgrading our corrals; a new squeeze chute and of course getting more cows, we are now up to 66 head with a goal of 100 or so. I have a mix of everything, but mostly Black Angus, a few Herefords, Red Angus, Charolais or two, a few crossbreds. I should have never bought those linebacks, I can't say I like them, but they were cheap. I'm in the process of buying better replacements. I plan to weed out all cows that have a calf with horns or other colors than black. This year my calf sizes were way more consistent this year than other years, and I believe that next year will be even better.

It has been a learning experience, I have been relying a lot on my dad and uncle knowledge. If I can learn half as much as dad had forgot over the years I think I will be doing good. I do know that if it was not for me wanting to do this, dad would have sold the farm several years ago; he just can't do the work like he used to. The good thing is that it give him something to think about and a reason to get out and do something. Even though he does not move very fast anymore, he is out there every day. I have worked with dad in the construction business, and with this farming and ranching thing, and I find myself thankful that I can do it with him. I enjoy making hay, and working cows; I'm not near as comfortable in the saddle as I would like to be, but I'm slowly getting there.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[faster horses]

I'm the oldest here, at least on this thread. Turned 76 last September. Do I win a prize?

Married young to a young rancher whose folks had a small place in WY.
We were in the right place at the right time and were able to lease a ranch
in 1965 by running cattle on shares. It was a good place, great irrigated hay meadows, and the years were good. It sold and we left there in 1973 and went to a grass and cake outfit in WY. 72,000 acres. The owner passed away in 1975 so we had to leave. It was either find a place or go to work for someone. We found a small place in SW Montana and left our family and friends and moved there. We were there until 1993 when we moved to SE Montana. Bigger place. We ran Hereford cattle at the first place (WY) because it was a Hereford Ranch. We moved those cows to SW Montana and in 1979 we bought our first Black Angus heifers. Eventually our cattle were all Black Angus. We ran 200 head in SE Montana. I became a Vigortone mineral dealer in 1994 and it was life-changing. So I'm going on 28 years as a dealer. What an education we got; learned so much we didn't know that helped us and helped our neighbors and friends there. We always put up hay except for the 2 years on the grass and cake ranch. The SE MT ranch had some land in CRP, so that helped make the payments. We paid that place off and retired in 2016 and moved back to WY where our family is. I say, after being gone for 40 years that "we came home to die." Good people and good friends in Montana for sure, we had just been gone from our family too long. So we still put up hay on our little place here, but have no cattle or horses; just one cat that is 19 years old. I have to mention, we always had good cowdogs and we appreciated them all. They sure made working cattle easier.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

I'm the oldest here, at least on this thread. Turned 76 last September. Do I win a prize?

Married young to a young rancher whose folks had a small place in WY.
We were in the right place at the right time and were able to lease a ranch
in 1965 by running cattle on shares. It was a good place, great irrigated hay meadows, and the years were good. It sold and we left there in 1973 and went to a grass and cake outfit in WY. 72,000 acres. The owner passed away in 1975 so we had to leave. It was either find a place or go to work for someone. We found a small place in SW Montana and left our family and friends and moved there. We were there until 1993 when we moved to SE Montana. Bigger place. We ran Hereford cattle at the first place (WY) because it was a Hereford Ranch. We moved those cows to SW Montana and in 1979 we bought our first Black Angus heifers. Eventually our cattle were all Black Angus. We ran 200 head in SE Montana. I became a Vigortone mineral dealer in 1994 and it was life-changing. So I'm going on 28 years as a dealer. What an education we got; learned so much we didn't know that helped us and helped our neighbors and friends there. We always put up hay except for the 2 years on the grass and cake ranch. The SE MT ranch had some land in CRP, so that helped make the payments. We paid that place off and retired in 2016 and moved back to WY where our family is. I say, after being gone for 40 years that "we came home to die." Good people and good friends in Montana for sure, we had just been gone from our family too long. So we still put up hay on our little place here, but have no cattle or horses; just one cat that is 19 years old. I have to mention, we always had good cowdogs and we appreciated them all. They sure made working cattle easier.

That was quite a ride!. I reckon I only have one question, Was Baxter Black correct about the wind in Wyoming?
Enjoy your days! LVR

 

[Chevy]

Go to photo contest forum with and cattle today family pics thread. Still there. It's locked up. Gonna take someone with mod rank I guess.

Ya'll broke it!!! Oh my!! I could have posted Chevy all day, talked about Chevys, and ranted even hypothetically punch dogs and slapped grannies...but ya'll broke the family pictures. What the hay!! Bahahahahahaha! Good think I didn't post a picture it really broke years ago. Bahahahaha. Jokes.

 

[greybeard]

a'll broke it!!! Oh my!! I could have posted Chevy all day, talked about Chevys, and ranted even hypothetically punch dogs and slapped grannies...but ya'll broke the family pictures.

This is why it's locked and with permission only to AlisonB (or whoever else may be assigned control over it) It is not 'broke' either.
It's only to post pictures of CT members in and no discussion allowed. The owner didn't want it 'cluttered up' with text. Members that wanted their picture posted there had to PM pictures to alisonb, she would resize them to appropriate size and she alone has posting privileges there. It's always been that way or at least as long as I've been here..

 

[sstterry]

I'm the oldest here, at least on this thread. Turned 76 last September. Do I win a prize?

Married young to a young rancher whose folks had a small place in WY.
We were in the right place at the right time and were able to lease a ranch
in 1965 by running cattle on shares. It was a good place, great irrigated hay meadows, and the years were good. It sold and we left there in 1973 and went to a grass and cake outfit in WY. 72,000 acres. The owner passed away in 1975 so we had to leave. It was either find a place or go to work for someone. We found a small place in SW Montana and left our family and friends and moved there. We were there until 1993 when we moved to SE Montana. Bigger place. We ran Hereford cattle at the first place (WY) because it was a Hereford Ranch. We moved those cows to SW Montana and in 1979 we bought our first Black Angus heifers. Eventually our cattle were all Black Angus. We ran 200 head in SE Montana. I became a Vigortone mineral dealer in 1994 and it was life-changing. So I'm going on 28 years as a dealer. What an education we got; learned so much we didn't know that helped us and helped our neighbors and friends there. We always put up hay except for the 2 years on the grass and cake ranch. The SE MT ranch had some land in CRP, so that helped make the payments. We paid that place off and retired in 2016 and moved back to WY where our family is. I say, after being gone for 40 years that "we came home to die." Good people and good friends in Montana for sure, we had just been gone from our family too long. So we still put up hay on our little place here, but have no cattle or horses; just one cat that is 19 years old. I have to mention, we always had good cowdogs and we appreciated them all. They sure made working cattle easier.

We had a 79-year-old that was here (probably 80 now) but the Mod, that had full control at the time, did not like his politics and he is no longer here. He was a good guy and gave me a lot of sage advice. I just wish I had gotten his contact information before he was exiled. I sure do miss him, and I hope he is well. If anyone has his contact info, please private message me. I remember last year when he was worried about getting hay to some of his cattle that were several miles away during the Tx cold spell.

 

[Chevy]

I'm the oldest here, at least on this thread. Turned 76 last September. Do I win a prize?

Married young to a young rancher whose folks had a small place in WY.
We were in the right place at the right time and were able to lease a ranch
in 1965 by running cattle on shares. It was a good place, great irrigated hay meadows, and the years were good. It sold and we left there in 1973 and went to a grass and cake outfit in WY. 72,000 acres. The owner passed away in 1975 so we had to leave. It was either find a place or go to work for someone. We found a small place in SW Montana and left our family and friends and moved there. We were there until 1993 when we moved to SE Montana. Bigger place. We ran Hereford cattle at the first place (WY) because it was a Hereford Ranch. We moved those cows to SW Montana and in 1979 we bought our first Black Angus heifers. Eventually our cattle were all Black Angus. We ran 200 head in SE Montana. I became a Vigortone mineral dealer in 1994 and it was life-changing. So I'm going on 28 years as a dealer. What an education we got; learned so much we didn't know that helped us and helped our neighbors and friends there. We always put up hay except for the 2 years on the grass and cake ranch. The SE MT ranch had some land in CRP, so that helped make the payments. We paid that place off and retired in 2016 and moved back to WY where our family is. I say, after being gone for 40 years that "we came home to die." Good people and good friends in Montana for sure, we had just been gone from our family too long. So we still put up hay on our little place here, but have no cattle or horses; just one cat that is 19 years old. I have to mention, we always had good cowdogs and we appreciated them all. They sure made working cattle easier.

You could be or maybe now.... I drank from the fountain of youth forever 21. I could actually be 121.
I met a man on a bicycle last summer he was traveling. Boy did he have some good stories. I wished I recorded him. He was 200 years old, used to be a doctor, had fancy cars, once lost his back pack in a park.... I can't even begin to tell that story like he told it was hilarious. He was in this park looking for his back pack for years. I thought the man was a little nuts. Than he started talking about some intelligent stuff. He was worth talking too made my day.

 

[dave_shelby]

I'm 50. I wasn't raised on a farm, we just had big gardens and raised goats and a milk cow. I enjoyed it at the time but in my teens I went the other way. I moved to NY for grad school and then got into software development. Somewhere after 30 I got to re-thinking life and what was missing from it. That started a path towards ag. My first step was a little garden on my 1/10th of an acre subdivision. We moved to 3 acres then finally got to thinking its now or never - I was 42. So it took another decade to get to farm by first saving and now juggling career and farm. My children get to live it more than I do.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

I'll be 62 soon got my first cow 34 years ago. We sell mostly freezer beef with an occasional Reg bull. I'll have 2 steers and a heifer for the rail in April and a cull cow for burger. I'll be down to 4 then.

 

[TexasRancher]

I'm 59, new to cattle. Started in cattle at age 57, raised goats in my 30's. Growing up I was never was around cattle...but always saw them in the fields...they were majestic animals. Angus, Angus-Hereford Mix, and a 2.2 million dollar Angus bull the Lord sent me literally. Keeps me off the streets.
I guess not ever having been raised in cattle...cattle can never be a curse. The only curse I've been introduced to is the lambs-quarter plant. God needs to explain that one. Probably find out it cures cancer.

 

[HDRider]

I'm the oldest here, at least on this thread. Turned 76 last September. Do I win a prize?

Married young to a young rancher whose folks had a small place in WY.
We were in the right place at the right time and were able to lease a ranch
in 1965 by running cattle on shares. It was a good place, great irrigated hay meadows, and the years were good. It sold and we left there in 1973 and went to a grass and cake outfit in WY. 72,000 acres. The owner passed away in 1975 so we had to leave. It was either find a place or go to work for someone. We found a small place in SW Montana and left our family and friends and moved there. We were there until 1993 when we moved to SE Montana. Bigger place. We ran Hereford cattle at the first place (WY) because it was a Hereford Ranch. We moved those cows to SW Montana and in 1979 we bought our first Black Angus heifers. Eventually our cattle were all Black Angus. We ran 200 head in SE Montana. I became a Vigortone mineral dealer in 1994 and it was life-changing. So I'm going on 28 years as a dealer. What an education we got; learned so much we didn't know that helped us and helped our neighbors and friends there. We always put up hay except for the 2 years on the grass and cake ranch. The SE MT ranch had some land in CRP, so that helped make the payments. We paid that place off and retired in 2016 and moved back to WY where our family is. I say, after being gone for 40 years that "we came home to die." Good people and good friends in Montana for sure, we had just been gone from our family too long. So we still put up hay on our little place here, but have no cattle or horses; just one cat that is 19 years old. I have to mention, we always had good cowdogs and we appreciated them all. They sure made working cattle easier.

Thanks for that story.

You lived a good life. Enjoy your return home.

 

[TexasRancher]

Thanks for that story.

You lived a good life. Enjoy your return home.

Gosh, you make it sound like he'll be traveling home soon. He's doesn't get a prize until he completes his last 20 year chapter of his best life to come.

 

[HDRider]

Gosh, you make it sound like he'll be traveling home soon. He's doesn't get a prize until he completes his last 20 year chapter of his best life to come.

We all do

 

[James McAdams]

63. I live half way between Memphis and Nashville in the garden spot of the USA. My wife and I bought our first 11 cows and 1 bull in 1992 so that means we've supporting these smelly beast for 30 years. We're up to 65 cows and 2 bulls now. I really need to cull back down to about 50. I'm from a large family (8 siblings including me) and were all raised on a farm raising cotton, corn, hogs and cattle and a BIG garden/truck patch. Don't do it if you don't love it.

 

[BFE]

47. Grew up on a hog and grain farm. Dad and grandpa hauled feed and grain now dad is 72 and still hauling every day. They also hauled coal and livestock back in the old days.

They sold out the cattle in the early 80's except for an occasional fat steer. We had enough hogs to make a poor man's living until the mid 90's. Uncle had a junk JD square baler that I followed around all summer from about 11 to 18 years old.

Got into cattle myself around ten years ago. Been up to 50 head of cows, in the low 30's now. I can comfortably handle around 40 on my current pastures. Phasing out the commercial girls and replacing with registered angus and simmental. Row crop just shy of 400 acres.

What would I have done differently? Harassed every banker in the country and bought every inch of ground I could've from age 18-35.

 

[TCRanch]

Okay, I'll play. 56. Mr. TC and I were able to retire when he was 54, I was 40, and walked away from the corporate world. Bought a section, built a house, new fences, tractors, etc., bought 33 bred cows and life was never the same - I literally went from Prada to poo (think Green Acres). I've discovered that "retirement" is subjective, and age is relative.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Oh my, going to feel almost like a baby here... 25 years old. Been in this forum for probably 10years already.
Parents lived in the city until 1999, then moved to where they live now. At first, started with chickens and sheep. In 2004 bought the first bovine. At first it was mainly half dairy half beef, some full dairy animals, but used AI to cross with beef breeds to build a suckler herd. Had a couple main cows, from which we've build most of the herd. Very rarely buy in a heifer.
I myself always was doing somekind of chores around the farm. Liked doing it. Got more into farming around 7th grade.
Got my Veterinary medicine master degree last year, have married a farmer and vet's son in 2020. Live in the same village as my parents and can see each other houses from the windows. At the moment doing some vet work, but mainly focused on building my own herd and helping with my husband's dairy herd. Also have almost a year old child, so not very much of the free time.
My parents are pretty young, dad born in 1977, mom in 1978. Still building our own farm, so there are alot more things waiting in our journey.

 

[Nesikep]

I'm 43, got our first bred WILD mutt heifers in the fall of '91, we were total greenhorns, and anything that could go wrong, did.. I think our first calving season we lost 3 calves and 2 cows.. (out of 12 heifers), then lost a few more to pneumonia, back in the days before draxxin, Exede, etc. in the mid-late 90's we did row crops, which paid the bills a lot better than cattle.. we had an acre of carrots, half acre of onions, 2 acres of squash, and we mostly did it all in 3 people. That was hard on the back, and I feel a lot of old injuries coming back to me now.

The cows we started with were mostly hereford/angus with some simm/fleckvieh in there too,
This was my first cow "Josie", a real pet, cooperative, milkable, nothing special to look at but she made a few nice daughters

Her older daughter Rosie (Salers sired), with her daughter (Cenci) and granddaughter (Chroma) stealing milk... those two calves turned into some of my best cows, they're both 11 years old now, Rosie had 16 calves for me


First bull was a Red angus, next was a Salers that we kept for a long time, then we had shorthorn bulls for about 8 years, the last one broke his pecker right as breeding season started, so we called up our auctioneer, and he had a Gelbvieh bull for sale, which was probably our best bull, kept him for 6 years, then tried Limousin, but that wasn't what I wanted.. Used a couple homeraised sons of the first gelbvieh bull and was really happy with them. I found a local (only 3 hours away) Gelbvieh breeder, got into an argument with my old man about buying a heifer, he wanted none of it, I bought a heifer calf anyhow and just threw her in with my calves.. (this is the day after I brought her home)
for 2 years my dad was saying how much he liked that cow, and last fall he asked who her mother was and I finally told him I bought her, and with how many times he said he liked her, he just had to shut up
This is her first daughter, and I think I like her better than her momma, have high hopes for her (but holy smokes is she ever a headstrong girl!)


I've since bought a PB gelbvieh bull from the same ranch and have some nice calves from him too, but I'm still going to raise some of my own bulls, The cow line from *my* first cow is now about 80% of my herd, Working on consistency, meatiness and build, I have a few that are really promising, This first timer really made a gorgeous and big calf, he's nearly as big as an intact bull from a mature cow, and kinda regret not having left him intact to see what he could have turned into



You all probably know Hector already, he was the first homeraised bull I kept.. well, I kept him intact, sold him to a friend, then got him back, little high in the birthweight department but his daughters have been really good milking cows (the two above are from him), His momma and his sister were both my milk cows when I felt like milking, He was a very well behaved boy, but he'd take no crap from any other bull, and took on bigger, older bulls several times while at my friend's place and sent them back where they came from


Outside of cattle, I've always been a jack of all trades, machinist, welder, dabble in computers, naturally a mechanic (I think we have nearly as many tractors as cows!).. the newest one being 40 years old.. a couple Holder A10's articulated tractors, a couple Leyland 154's, a massey 165 and 255, an IH 684 and a 274 (offset row crop) a Case 464 (HD garden tractor), and we just found an Allis Chalmers Model G we'll pick up shortly.

 

[Chevy]

I been around. I seen some things. Most of my stories probably not appropriate for a 'family forum'.

Ask the mods. If we can have a special thread for adult conversation.