Just got home a few days ago from a fantastic trip to Alberta and British Columbia. Spent a great few days at the Calgary Stampede - saw the cutting horse finals and the led steer comp amongst other things. Ate some bison ribs! We were guests on a number of ranches and feedlots - it was all so very wet and green - not normal at all, the ranchers told us, but it certainly looked good. Was surprised to hear their annual average rainfall (including snow) is less than ours in arid outback Aust! Visited a Hutterite colony, a real eye opener. Rode a good horse on a trail in the Rockies and checked out some stunning scenery. Two days on the Rocky Mountaineer train capped it all off. It's all but a memory now....back to mustering, branding and weaning. Very cold and dusty here.
Australian Talk.
- Thread starter Australian Cattleman
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
Suzie Q
Well-known member
So did you sell your cattle Australian or did you bring them home?
We have had a warmer week here, and the grass has grown a bit. The cattle have loved it, but I don't think it will last long.
I have been busy this week. I went and rode Sim on Tuesday. 3 circles and he was going better than the whole previous lesson. I spent the rest of the day op shopping with Mum and then picked hubby up from Holden College. We arrived home after dark to feed the bull, horse and Bazadais girls.
Yesterday I went to pilates and my neighbour invited me shopping. So I came home and fed out round bales to the cattle. Had a shower and washed my hair and off we went. Again we arrived home after dark!!!
We have had a warmer week here, and the grass has grown a bit. The cattle have loved it, but I don't think it will last long.
I have been busy this week. I went and rode Sim on Tuesday. 3 circles and he was going better than the whole previous lesson. I spent the rest of the day op shopping with Mum and then picked hubby up from Holden College. We arrived home after dark to feed the bull, horse and Bazadais girls.
Yesterday I went to pilates and my neighbour invited me shopping. So I came home and fed out round bales to the cattle. Had a shower and washed my hair and off we went. Again we arrived home after dark!!!
Australian
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2008
- Messages
- 1,189
- Reaction score
- 1
Brought all the bulls and heifers home. Will use the 3 year old SD over some Brahmans and one of the Brahamns will be used over a few good red heifers. The other two will be put back into the bull paddock. Have to go and fix up a few floodgates. We had another 20 mls of rain but parts at the head of our creeks and river had 50+ mls. The streams about all had a good run on them. Was on the way to do them yesterday but got bogged on the side of a hill. There are lots of springs opened up around here. Had to wait till my mate finished work to pull me out. I was 10 ks from home with two dogs, so the dogs got the luxury of riding in the car instead of on the back of the ute.
Sunny and windy here after a big frost.
Colin
Sunny and windy here after a big frost.
Colin
townfarmer
Well-known member
Wow sounds like some holiday! I'm glad you had a good time. I lived in Alberta for a while and we spent a bit of time at the stampede.
Andrew
Suzie Q
Well-known member
I brought home a rescue horse today. His name is Sim. Way too skinny. A thoroughbred I think.
Yes, we did have a fantastic time, Townfarmer......Lucky you, to have lived over there for a while. Trying to convince some of the young rellies to go over and work for a year or two! However, I won't be swapping anytime soon. Growing the hay and silage, feeding the cows for so long, tending the calves in the cold - so much more work than we have to do. We whinge about having to put out lick!
I greatly enjoyed all your breed photos from the Ekka too - good work.
I greatly enjoyed all your breed photos from the Ekka too - good work.
Suzie Q
Well-known member
At the rate of work for me this week, I don't think I will get to the Ekka this year!!
Another calf this morning. Jackie has calved.
Murray is starting to show signs of calving as well.
Another calf this morning. Jackie has calved.
Murray is starting to show signs of calving as well.
Australian
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2008
- Messages
- 1,189
- Reaction score
- 1
Thanks for all the great pics from the Brisbane Show. I was very sorry I wasn't able to get our cattle to the show. I was looking forward to competing against the main South Devon exhibitor, who I've never come against before. My senior bull would have been much longer and more sirey than the blokes in the picture. Anyway maybe next year.
townfarmer
Well-known member
Colin
The South Devons there needed a bit more competition. There was only the one female and the one junior bull. I thought the "Kildare" cattle were quite good though.
Suzie Q
That's a cute calf. What breed is it's daddy.
Andrew
The South Devons there needed a bit more competition. There was only the one female and the one junior bull. I thought the "Kildare" cattle were quite good though.
Suzie Q
That's a cute calf. What breed is it's daddy.
Andrew
Suzie Q
Well-known member
It you were at the ekka yesterday you would have gotten wet. Probably today as well.
Jackie is a Droughtmaster. I have called the calf Chan!!!
Dad is Garbrook Brody. 7/8th Bazadais and 1/8th Droughtmaster.
He is in my avatar.
A lot of his calves have those dark curls on the forehead.
Jackie is a Droughtmaster. I have called the calf Chan!!!
Dad is Garbrook Brody. 7/8th Bazadais and 1/8th Droughtmaster.
He is in my avatar.
A lot of his calves have those dark curls on the forehead.
Australian
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2008
- Messages
- 1,189
- Reaction score
- 1
Don't come to our place it's freezing. There's a gale blowing and it hasn't got over 5c today. Wind chill probably zero. heavy sleet and it may snow later on the higher peaks about. There is snow from Glen Innes south to Armidale, Walcha and on the Barrington Tops Mtns. I thought Winter might have been nearly finished.I've moved all the cattle off the hill around our house, so they can get down in the hollows.
Yoicks - can't even imagine what that would be like Colin! Its warmer here today than it has been but the grass has blackened off even more after the rain - zilch protein value. We had 32mm over about 15,000 acs so it may do some good when it heats up in a few weeks. The bulk of the place had much less. There's more rain to come though - the ants are building funnel tops on their nests again, the green frogs are braving the cold, and the big king brown and downs tiger snakes are up out of the ground and feeling very cranky. To top it off, the orange jasmine (murraya) is flowering - it only flowers in summer!
We ran a heap of cows through yesterday and peeled their weaner calves off and carted them home. They're complaining bitterly but have plenty of good hay.
We ran a heap of cows through yesterday and peeled their weaner calves off and carted them home. They're complaining bitterly but have plenty of good hay.
Suzie Q
Well-known member
We have had 2 days of gale force winds. I finally went out in yesterday to feed the herds. YUCK, but after an hour or so it did die down which was good.
It is starting to green up a little bit here. I can see a green tinge starting to happen. I also have seen quite a few dead frogs and toads. I don't know why.
It is starting to green up a little bit here. I can see a green tinge starting to happen. I also have seen quite a few dead frogs and toads. I don't know why.
Australian
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2008
- Messages
- 1,189
- Reaction score
- 1
A bit better here today, still windy and a bit of a wind chill factor. haven't heard of any snow about our district yet. Guess there is some on the mountains over 4,000 + feet. The one nearby Tenterfield is 4,750 and the range to the south is about 5,000 feet. We are at 3,000. Friends travelled back from Armidale and said it was snowing quite abit round Ben Lomond and Guyra. back to a big frost probably tomorrow. Our lawn is green which is very unusual for this time of year. It's been like that most of the winter. A friend of mine seen a big shiny black snake when she was hanging her washing last week. Nearly time for our snake repellers to go out. :tiphat:
Suzie Q
Well-known member
It is a bit cooler here this morning. It will be a shame if we lose the grass we have had for the last couple of weeks now.
Another calf yesterday and I spent the day checking the electric fences after all that wind.
I weaned the 2 bazadais calves last night. I can hear the Mum's now.
Another calf yesterday and I spent the day checking the electric fences after all that wind.
I weaned the 2 bazadais calves last night. I can hear the Mum's now.
Suzie Q
Well-known member
I did my 15 minutes of housework yesterday, but just did a general tidy over in every room instead of looking for things to do in one room. Hubby wanted to know why the bed was made. I usually don't make it until we are getting ready for bed. I like to let the air to get into it so as bedbugs don't like it. But with looking for something to do yesterday I made it in the morning.
Then I was so lucky to see the calves go through a rail that they knocked down. They didn't break it, just worked the wire off the end of it!!! I managed to get over there and get them back into the inner yard before they managed to get out of the outer yard. The rail has had a temporary fix.
Then we went to an opening for the Wyaralong Dam. WOW!! Talk about people. There were people where ever you looked. We arrived half an hour after the start time and took one of the last places in the car park. Then we had to line up and wait for coaches to arrive. They had at least 3 coaches ferrying people back and forth.
When we got in there there was entertainment for you if you wanted. All free. Coffee or hot chocolate or soft drinks. Bacon and egg or sausage on bread. A girl singing who was very good, but unfortunately way too loud. Face painting, pony rides, jumping castle. A sand pit with digging toys, a truck you could go up and sit in or look around the back or line up and go on a smaller bus ride with an engineer who took us around the dam wall and he gave us a tour and answered questions.
It turned out to be such a gorgeous day. They are so lucky that they didn't cop one of those gale force wind days.
Today we have bought a load of hay, just for piece of mind. Hubby and Papa are unloading it now. I was rolling them down and he got mad with me because it was taking too long. I told him there was other stuff I wanted to do today, not use my arm up solely on that, so he told me to go and do it. So I came her and they can darn well do it themselves!!!
Then I was so lucky to see the calves go through a rail that they knocked down. They didn't break it, just worked the wire off the end of it!!! I managed to get over there and get them back into the inner yard before they managed to get out of the outer yard. The rail has had a temporary fix.
Then we went to an opening for the Wyaralong Dam. WOW!! Talk about people. There were people where ever you looked. We arrived half an hour after the start time and took one of the last places in the car park. Then we had to line up and wait for coaches to arrive. They had at least 3 coaches ferrying people back and forth.
When we got in there there was entertainment for you if you wanted. All free. Coffee or hot chocolate or soft drinks. Bacon and egg or sausage on bread. A girl singing who was very good, but unfortunately way too loud. Face painting, pony rides, jumping castle. A sand pit with digging toys, a truck you could go up and sit in or look around the back or line up and go on a smaller bus ride with an engineer who took us around the dam wall and he gave us a tour and answered questions.
It turned out to be such a gorgeous day. They are so lucky that they didn't cop one of those gale force wind days.
Today we have bought a load of hay, just for piece of mind. Hubby and Papa are unloading it now. I was rolling them down and he got mad with me because it was taking too long. I told him there was other stuff I wanted to do today, not use my arm up solely on that, so he told me to go and do it. So I came her and they can darn well do it themselves!!!
Good on you Suzi!
Some sort of rain predicted for later in the week. It can't do any more damage to the grass so maybe eventually we'll get enough to green it up some more. Although the horses never came to be fed today so they must be getting a pick in the buffel grass down behind the dam.
Some sort of rain predicted for later in the week. It can't do any more damage to the grass so maybe eventually we'll get enough to green it up some more. Although the horses never came to be fed today so they must be getting a pick in the buffel grass down behind the dam.
Suzie Q
Well-known member
Our cattle do that Jilleroo. Only come up if they are hungry. The horses on the other had will tell you their throats are cut even if they are about to founder.
On the 12 of October 2007, we lost our shed for the second time. Yes those a telegraph poles you can see on my float and irrigator.
ale:
We were sooooo lucky. So lucky that it only cracked the fibreglass roof on the float. So lucky that it was only the canopy crushed on the irrigator and so lucky that there was a tree between the shed and the horses to stop the sheets of metal flying into them.
We managed to clean up the debris from the shed with our old David Brown Tractor. THE most used implement on the farm. There is only a wall left now.
I call this photo Peppy Grazing - 15.1hh black/brown horse wearing a white combo.
The irrigator received a new canopy and yesterday a friend came to fix the roof of the float for me.
So I spent the day keeping him company and finding the things he needed in our shed. The only thing I could not find was a 2 inch throw away paint brush. I found a hoof brush, body brush, scrubbing brush, dust brush, the brush hubby uses to wash the vehicle, but nope, so we ended up going into town and he bought a few thing he needed from the hardware like masking tape, etc and we had morning tea. I paid for him of course.
While he was painting his dad and I fed out the cattle and we have a new calf. Here is Larry with Resin (So she will be as old as the new repair on the float!!
So the float went from green with white spots to white.
He is still going to do the outside of the roof. It is hopefully a clearing shower now and will clear to a dry day, so as he can finish.
On the 12 of October 2007, we lost our shed for the second time. Yes those a telegraph poles you can see on my float and irrigator.
ale:
We were sooooo lucky. So lucky that it only cracked the fibreglass roof on the float. So lucky that it was only the canopy crushed on the irrigator and so lucky that there was a tree between the shed and the horses to stop the sheets of metal flying into them.
We managed to clean up the debris from the shed with our old David Brown Tractor. THE most used implement on the farm. There is only a wall left now.
I call this photo Peppy Grazing - 15.1hh black/brown horse wearing a white combo.
The irrigator received a new canopy and yesterday a friend came to fix the roof of the float for me.
So I spent the day keeping him company and finding the things he needed in our shed. The only thing I could not find was a 2 inch throw away paint brush. I found a hoof brush, body brush, scrubbing brush, dust brush, the brush hubby uses to wash the vehicle, but nope, so we ended up going into town and he bought a few thing he needed from the hardware like masking tape, etc and we had morning tea. I paid for him of course.
While he was painting his dad and I fed out the cattle and we have a new calf. Here is Larry with Resin (So she will be as old as the new repair on the float!!
So the float went from green with white spots to white.
He is still going to do the outside of the roof. It is hopefully a clearing shower now and will clear to a dry day, so as he can finish.
Australian
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2008
- Messages
- 1,189
- Reaction score
- 1
Went to the Palgrove Charolais sale today. Prices were from $3,500 to $20,000. Most uniform line of cattle since last years Hereford sale at Amos Vale near Glen Innes. When cattle are so uniform that each bull after each is as good as the one before, just shows the breeders expertise at breeding. This was evident at Palgrove today. Bull after bull same great quality. We purchased a two year old to put over Brahmans and South Devons :clap:
