Start My New Job Tomorrow

[aplusmnt]

Congrats on the first day!

When I was 18 I basically was in the same place you are now. I had raised show animals for the County fair but not worked with Cows outside of that. Then my first year in College I got a job working at Golden West Limousin Ranch. I fed and did daily chores and then worked with show animals. Loved the job!

Little advice down the lines of Bez saying be safe. Show bulls are a lot different than Show steers. I learned that the hard way. As always respect all animals but be sure you show more respect with Show Bulls than you would a steer that you might be raising at home. They can be puppy dogs one day and hurt you in a blink of an eye!

Good luck and enjoy making money doing what you love!

 

[backhoeboogie]

Congratulations. Sounds like you are off to a good start.

You'll pick up some spanish. Bear in mind that a WHOLE LOT of our cattle terminology evolved from the Mexicans. Words like lariat, corral, etc. Once someone sent me a list and I can't find it at the moment, but there were about 50 common terms we use and they were all spanish from Mexican cattlemen. Hence, you probably already know some terminology and don't realize that it is Spanish. I was amazed that we had borrowed so much of their terminology. There were no English words for some of these things, like simple tools they had created.

Maybe someone else has seen that list and can post it.

Keep up the good work. Lots of us learned to work cattle by working for others, or working for our parents/grandparents. Keep us posted. I am enjoying this thread you created.

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

OK, day 2 report (I work Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). Didnt go as smooth as the other day. Today I got kicked twice, charged and horned. Didnt get hurt bad or anything, just a couple bruises. Kicked on the arm once and the other time was about 1 inch away from my "special place". The worst part was the scare.

When I got there I went and tied up all the calves and started brushing them. I worked with the showstick on them and they all did surprisingly good. The trouble started after lunch. They have an attatchment on the tractor which is just a big panel with hooks they they tie cattle to. We were taking them over to wash. One of the bulls decided he wasnt gonna go with the tractor, and snapped the lead rope. He normally will walk pretty good by hand. We caught him and put a new lead rope on and he snapped that one. Got him up on the washrack and first thing he does when I spray him down is put a hoof an inch away from my boys. We got all of the others washed and that was pretty much my day today. Have a couple little bruises, but they have time to heal before I go back Tuesday.

 

[Bez!]

Not my original saying - but I liked it - so:

When you work with big animals, it is not if you get hurt - it is when and how bad.

Bez!

 

[Bama]

I lost out on my help for part of this summer. My 13 year old son was offered a job today. He will be helping the neighbor down the road. Word has got out that he is a hard worker and folks are offering to put him to work. He is a big tightwad (I can't imagine where that came from). He has it figured he can invest in a calf ever two weeks. He will be working 4 hours per day 6 days a week. I will miss having him around to help me, but I ain't gonna stand in the way of him making some folding money. I know this is young to go to work, but I think it will do him some good. He is excited about it. He was picking at me about it and said " he pays better than you do". Its on a farm just down the road from me about a half mile. I won't let him drive much farther than that. He is actually a better driver than his 16 year old sister.

 

[aplusmnt]

I lost out on my help for part of this summer. My 13 year old son was offered a job today. He will be helping the neighbor down the road. Word has got out that he is a hard worker and folks are offering to put him to work. He is a big tightwad (I can't imagine where that came from). He has it figured he can invest in a calf ever two weeks. He will be working 4 hours per day 6 days a week. I will miss having him around to help me, but I ain't gonna stand in the way of him making some folding money. I know this is young to go to work, but I think it will do him some good. He is excited about it. He was picking at me about it and said " he pays better than you do". Its on a farm just down the road from me about a half mile. I won't let him drive much farther than that. He is actually a better driver than his 16 year old sister.

Neighbor might pay better but you offer room and board

13 is by no means to young to start a regular summer job. If I was to post how young my kids started working with us on our Janitorial Business I might get turned in to the authorities. All I can say is my 8 year old is a seasoned Veteran who draws a regular pay check. Crap half the time he has more money in his billfold than I do.

Congrats on a son with a good work ethic!

 

[Texan]

Good for you, TCB. It's good to hear that you've got a job that you like working with registered cattle. I don't know very much about how registered operations work. When you get a chance, I'd like to hear more about this part of the registered business:

Next we took a couple calves and put them in a pen with some jersey cows so they could get some milk.

Thanks. :lol:

 

[Gale Seddon]

I think there's a Spanish book specifically for cattle where I work...I'll try to find out the name for you (if I can find the book).

TCB, I checked at work; it's a CD called Spanish Dairy Phrases (CD01) from Michigan State University. Includes parlor and milk phrases, cow descriptions, calving and cow care, vet/med phrases, barns, feed and feeding, general terms and commands, tools and machinery, hiring/employment. Anyway, here's a website and phone number...maybe they still have them:

http://www.canr.msu.edu/msue_thumb/page ... y_team.htm

Tel: 517-355-8383

Something to spend your first paycheck on! Hope this helps.

 

[Angus Cattle Shower]

I had a summer job when i was smaller-now the problem is it is in the middle of Dad's sprayting and my show cattle season, so I've had to turn down 7 or 8 offers this year. When i was smaller I got hired to mow the neighbours lawn-di do that in the morning till it was done then I'd go and ask to help with the other stuff, and by then end of the second time i went there i was over every day of the week... but a few years ago this odl man died, and left the place to his son-ill go down with our mower and cut the lawn, but I don't think he knows that I do, and I dont mind cause i liek it. lol.