First branding done

[gcreekrch]

 

[wbvs58]

What are the other treatments they are getting Dave?

Ken

 

[Dave]

You sit down while branding? Good thing you have Oscar to get the work done around there.

 

[gcreekrch]

What are the other treatments they are getting Dave?

Ken

Vision 8S, Bovishield Gold One Shot, a Draxxin to keep them alive until vaccines kick in, rfid tag and a brand. Average a calf every 40 seconds.

 

[gcreekrch]

You sit down while branding? Good thing you have Oscar to get the work done around there.

Mostly for a joke but my back was bothering me yesterday and it was a change of position. Don't worry Dave, I get a lot more done in a day than most.

 

[Silver]

Will one electric iron keep up to that pace or do you keep two on the go?

 

[GoWyo]

Vision 8S, Bovishield Gold One Shot, a Draxxin to keep them alive until vaccines kick in, rfid tag and a brand. Average a calf every 40 seconds.

You already have them cut or banded at birth? We have a table and tip them. Heifers and bull calves left in tact are quick, steers take a little longer.

 

[gcreekrch]

Will one electric iron keep up to that pace or do you keep two on the go?

Just one, wire brush every calf. No waiting like the old days with wood and then propane. No roaring in the ears or needing to add fuel.

 

[gcreekrch]

You already have them cut or banded at birth? We have a table and tip them. Heifers and bull calves left in tact are quick, steers take a little longer.

Banded at birth, they are all the same. We had no horns to burn off in this bunch either and that saves a lot of time. Burning horns off takes another 90 seconds.

 

[Silver]

Just one, wire brush every calf. No waiting like the old days with wood and then propane. No roaring in the ears or needing to add fuel.

I branded my yearlings the other day (fresh brands in that video I posted) and was thinking about electric irons. But I'd be exchanging the roar of propane for the roar of a generator. I guess with a good long cord that could be mitigated.

 

[Dave]

Mostly for a joke but my back was bothering me yesterday and it was a change of position. Don't worry Dave, I get a lot more done in a day than most.

Well we have seen evidence of how much Oscar gets done in a day.

I branded my yearlings the other day (fresh brands in that video I posted) and was thinking about electric irons. But I'd be exchanging the roar of propane for the roar of a generator. I guess with a good long cord that could be mitigated.

We use long cords at B's brandings with his generator. At my place there is a long cord coming out of the barn. It is dead silent. Most of the neighbors here use an old wheel rim with a fire built in it. Quiet but smokey. However on cold mornings it is useful to stand around the fire. And I have seen mountain oysters hung over the side of the old rim to cook from the heat of the fire.

 

[Dave]

Nobody here uses calf tables. They all get roped and drug to the fire. We always have a few calves to clean up. Last year at my place there was only 5 come clean up. Rather than rustle up a couple ropers to do 5 calves we set up a calf table in front of the squeeze chute. After 5 calves several comments were made saying 5 was enough to remember why they hated calf tables so much. There is 11 to do in the next week or two. I am sure they will get roped.

 

[gcreekrch]

I branded my yearlings the other day (fresh brands in that video I posted) and was thinking about electric irons. But I'd be exchanging the roar of propane for the roar of a generator. I guess with a good long cord that could be mitigated.

How far would you have to reach?

 

[gcreekrch]

Nobody here uses calf tables. They all get roped and drug to the fire. We always have a few calves to clean up. Last year at my place there was only 5 come clean up. Rather than rustle up a couple ropers to do 5 calves we set up a calf table in front of the squeeze chute. After 5 calves several comments were made saying 5 was enough to remember why they hated calf tables so much. There is 11 to do in the next week or two. I am sure they will get roped.

I guess we can't all be perfect.

 

[GoWyo]

This set up is hard to beat. Worst job is pushing calves, but it is not hard. Got tired of the sh!t show rope and drag brandings and risk of injuring calves that may be worth several thousand in less than a year.

 

[Silver]

How far would you have to reach?

Probably 200 feet. Or I could use a generator and a longish cord to allow the generator to stay far enough back as to be substantially quieter than the propane.

 

[Dave]

Probably 200 feet. Or I could use a generator and a longish cord to allow the generator to stay far enough back as to be substantially quieter than the propane.

B puts the generator on the other side of a pickup to help block the noise. Far enough away that it is just back ground noise but close enough that you notice when it is running out of gas.

 

[Silver]

B puts the generator on the other side of a pickup to help block the noise. Far enough away that it is just back ground noise but close enough that you notice when it is running out of gas.

That's right along the lines I was thinking of

 

[CowboyRam]

A buddy talked me into dragging mine to the fire a couple years ago, that turned out to be cluster ****, and took longer than it should have. I won't make that mistake again.

 

[GoWyo]

A buddy talked me into dragging mine to the fire a couple years ago, that turned out to be cluster ****, and took longer than it should have. I won't make that mistake again.

Rope and drag brandings can be real slick, but the key is the crew. I cut bull calves at branding and much prefer the table than kneeling in the dirt. Plus with a table, 2-3 people can get them done and 3-4 people can get it done a little faster.