Branding day

[Dave]

Branding calves and then hauling cows and calves to summer camp tomorrow. There is 58 calves to brand. By far the smallest branding in the neighborhood. so it won't take long. There are 2 cows left to calf. They better get in a big hurry or they will just have to do it up in the hills all by themself. I bought #54 (the red cow) back in mid January. Two cows came in together. The vet called them both 7 months bred. The other cow calved in March. #54 doesn't look anywhere close to calving. #32 (the black cow) would have been bought in late November based on her number. At that time I was buying 5 or 6 month bred cows. That was 5.5 or 6 months ago. She is looking to calf fairly soon. But it she doesn't do it tonight she will be doing it up in the hills.

 

[Dave]

Well the crew arrive about 8:30 this morning. A pair of B's must have crawled through the fence so we branded 59. We gathered, sorted and branded and were done before noon. Ate a big lunch that the wife made. Then hauled the cows to the Alder Creek trap which is above Kitchen Creek. B's hired man and some associates went back there an hour or two later after they had plenty of time to mother up. They drove them up to the Kinzoo (sp) which is a private mountain pasture.
The wife took some pictures while she was watching two young boys. Their parents were roping for us. I am certain she had the busiest job. Those two (3 and half and 20 months) are real life wires. The parents kept asking how the wife is fairing and have the two of them tore the house down yet.