inyati13
Well-known member
Just call me the "Man with the Sure Hand". I am 3 for 3 at Fire Sweep Simmental Ranch in AI attempts, two heifers and one cow to my credit. I bred one of their cows, Kitty, while I was tending the Fire Sweep Simmental Ranch while they were at the 2015 AJSA Nationals in Texas. She has since passed her first post-AI cycle without signs of estrus. It sure is nice when you can observe a cow in heat, count off her time post-standing and go out into a pasture only a few yards from the house, put a halter on the cow, casually lead her to the breeding chute and turn her out when you are done.
My chores involved more than checking heats and AI service. I did everything from gathering the eggs to cleaning the hardwood floor. I shared the house with Levi, their daughter's dog, and Sky, my new corgi puppy who was back where she was born. She got to see her mother and one of her sisters. She loved being home and racing around on the slick hardwood floor.
While tending the ranch, I mucked out the barn. The ranch has a great barn. The chute is located in the barn and everything is well arranged for working cattle. The barn has a loafing area to protect the cattle from weather. I used the FEL on their small 5045E JD tractor and removed the manure down to a solid base. Under the manure is a solid base consisting of a conglomerate of native chert. The chert forms a natural base of about minus 4 stone. Provides an excellent solid base. After mucking out the manure, Kris had a load of pea gravel delivered and I put it down over the natural base to form a cover for the cows to move and bed on.
The brood cows are managed to forage in accordance with the MIG system Kris has set up. It is efficient and the grass is abundant. I am impressed with the capacity it provides – about 46 cows are managed on only 40 acres. The cows are supplemented with mineral. The show stock and bulls being developed are fed bull rations or show feed.
The other major project was placing a gate post. In Kentucky, we use treated wood posts extensively for fence. In Missouri where Kris lives, they also use pipe. I have never used pipe for post. When I went through the pile of posts Kris told me to use, there was only two inch pipe. Driving around, I had noticed that most end posts and gate posts were 4 inches. Kris said to use the two inch pipe. Concerned that it was not strong enough, I decided to use two posts joined by the gate hinge bolts. I got a lesson in cutting the gate bolt holes. What I assumed was mild steel, turned out to be hardened oilfield pipe. I marked the posts so the gate bolts would line up and was able to drill small pilot holes but when I used my three quarter inch bit, it was trashed in short order. I went to Lowes looking for a better bit. My second effort was the same, I destroyed the bit. I was forming a hypothesis that the holes needed to be cut with an acetylene torch. I went to the Race Brothers store and ask the service guys what people in that part of the world do to cut holes in the oilfield pipe. They confirmed my hypothesis - best to torch them. I called Kris and she lined me up with her husband's BIL. I had met Roger before. Guy can say "F--- more times in one sentence than anyone I have ever known. I tell Roger what I need and he is eager to help. He pulls out a brand new plasma cutter that has never been turned on. I ask him, "Roger, have you ever used it". He says no but he has had it for two years and has used one before. I notice he is not sure how to hook it up. He gets the air supply line on. Then by trial and error he attaches the power supply. Roger says, "Ah, there we go". He turns on a switch and it sounds like the first strike you make with an arc welder. Fire and smoke fill the shop. I watch as his brand new plasma cutter is toasted. I think Roger over-did the word GD. In fact, I think he said GD so many times that toasting his plasma cutter involved Devine intervention. Roger looks at me and says, "Can't help you." I am looking over in the corner of his shop and I see an old drill press. I say, "Roger, does that work." He said, "Yes, it was my father's." I could tell despite his failure with the plasma cutter that Roger knows tools. I ask if he has a low speed three quarter inch drill bit that would cut hard steel. He looked and said, no. I said, "Rodger, I had to drill holes in my D3G to install a brush sweep. It took a high quality low speed drill bit I bought at Fastenal to get the holes cut and tapped." He said there is a Fastenal in Monett. I got a 300 rpm low speed drill press bit. It cost - $43 I think. Roger and I drilled all my holes. He ran the press and I kept the hole soaked in cutting oil. You know a drill bit is working right when it cuts those big shavings. What I thought was a couple hour job turned out to take two days with all the running. I put the double two inch post 36 inches in the ground and anchored it with two 80 pound bags of concrete mix. When I turn 90, I am going to drive to Fire Sweep Ranch and see if my post is still there.
On July 11, they returned from Texas. The barn was clean, the gate was hanging, there were fresh eggs in the larder, Kitty was bred, the dogs were safe and happy, and the floors were clean. All as a result of the "man with the sure hand". Now give me an Amen.
My Girl made the trip with me. SKY
My chores involved more than checking heats and AI service. I did everything from gathering the eggs to cleaning the hardwood floor. I shared the house with Levi, their daughter's dog, and Sky, my new corgi puppy who was back where she was born. She got to see her mother and one of her sisters. She loved being home and racing around on the slick hardwood floor.
While tending the ranch, I mucked out the barn. The ranch has a great barn. The chute is located in the barn and everything is well arranged for working cattle. The barn has a loafing area to protect the cattle from weather. I used the FEL on their small 5045E JD tractor and removed the manure down to a solid base. Under the manure is a solid base consisting of a conglomerate of native chert. The chert forms a natural base of about minus 4 stone. Provides an excellent solid base. After mucking out the manure, Kris had a load of pea gravel delivered and I put it down over the natural base to form a cover for the cows to move and bed on.
The brood cows are managed to forage in accordance with the MIG system Kris has set up. It is efficient and the grass is abundant. I am impressed with the capacity it provides – about 46 cows are managed on only 40 acres. The cows are supplemented with mineral. The show stock and bulls being developed are fed bull rations or show feed.
The other major project was placing a gate post. In Kentucky, we use treated wood posts extensively for fence. In Missouri where Kris lives, they also use pipe. I have never used pipe for post. When I went through the pile of posts Kris told me to use, there was only two inch pipe. Driving around, I had noticed that most end posts and gate posts were 4 inches. Kris said to use the two inch pipe. Concerned that it was not strong enough, I decided to use two posts joined by the gate hinge bolts. I got a lesson in cutting the gate bolt holes. What I assumed was mild steel, turned out to be hardened oilfield pipe. I marked the posts so the gate bolts would line up and was able to drill small pilot holes but when I used my three quarter inch bit, it was trashed in short order. I went to Lowes looking for a better bit. My second effort was the same, I destroyed the bit. I was forming a hypothesis that the holes needed to be cut with an acetylene torch. I went to the Race Brothers store and ask the service guys what people in that part of the world do to cut holes in the oilfield pipe. They confirmed my hypothesis - best to torch them. I called Kris and she lined me up with her husband's BIL. I had met Roger before. Guy can say "F--- more times in one sentence than anyone I have ever known. I tell Roger what I need and he is eager to help. He pulls out a brand new plasma cutter that has never been turned on. I ask him, "Roger, have you ever used it". He says no but he has had it for two years and has used one before. I notice he is not sure how to hook it up. He gets the air supply line on. Then by trial and error he attaches the power supply. Roger says, "Ah, there we go". He turns on a switch and it sounds like the first strike you make with an arc welder. Fire and smoke fill the shop. I watch as his brand new plasma cutter is toasted. I think Roger over-did the word GD. In fact, I think he said GD so many times that toasting his plasma cutter involved Devine intervention. Roger looks at me and says, "Can't help you." I am looking over in the corner of his shop and I see an old drill press. I say, "Roger, does that work." He said, "Yes, it was my father's." I could tell despite his failure with the plasma cutter that Roger knows tools. I ask if he has a low speed three quarter inch drill bit that would cut hard steel. He looked and said, no. I said, "Rodger, I had to drill holes in my D3G to install a brush sweep. It took a high quality low speed drill bit I bought at Fastenal to get the holes cut and tapped." He said there is a Fastenal in Monett. I got a 300 rpm low speed drill press bit. It cost - $43 I think. Roger and I drilled all my holes. He ran the press and I kept the hole soaked in cutting oil. You know a drill bit is working right when it cuts those big shavings. What I thought was a couple hour job turned out to take two days with all the running. I put the double two inch post 36 inches in the ground and anchored it with two 80 pound bags of concrete mix. When I turn 90, I am going to drive to Fire Sweep Ranch and see if my post is still there.
On July 11, they returned from Texas. The barn was clean, the gate was hanging, there were fresh eggs in the larder, Kitty was bred, the dogs were safe and happy, and the floors were clean. All as a result of the "man with the sure hand". Now give me an Amen.
My Girl made the trip with me. SKY
