Ask Me about Branding Cows or Ranching Out West (Pics)

Fishwhenican · #1 04-18-2007, 04:56 PM

OK, I do not own a ranch but the whole area where I live in SE Montana is Ranching country and the place I work at has a 20,000 acre Ranch that we have both cattle and Buffalo on. I have been around it a fair bit and think I have a fair handle on it so any questions are fair game. If I do not know the answer I likely can find it!

I recently had the chance to go out to the ranch and help with branding. I started out helping run the calves through the chute, then cooked lunch for everyone and finished the rest of the afternoon running the gate on the "table". The table is a device at the end of the chute that has a thing that closes on the calf's neck to keep him there. There is also another thing that is closed against the table with the calf in between, again to help hold it there. The table is then turned on it's side with the calf on top of it. It is at this point where the calf is vaccinated, ear tagged, branded, given medicine for scours if it has scours and while all this is going on if it is a bull calf it's nuts are banded. After all this the table is turned up and the restraints released and then we have to convince it to get out so the next one can get in. It is a pretty good system. BTW, getting the calves to move generally means grabbing it by the base of the tail pushing it up and forward. My shoulders are pretty darn sore right now and my leather gloves are really in need of a cleaning!

So, Now the pictures:
Some views of the ranch in springtime

Calves as they are worked through the chutes and bin

An overview of the chute and table, table is up (I am hidden in this photo!)

Working on the table:
This is a calve on the table with the iron being ready to brand the calve. The calve is also ear tagged, given it's shots and given scours medicine if needed.

This is the work on the other end of a bull calf, Banding. A rubber band it put around the base of the scrotum eventually causing the nuts to fall off.

That may sound bad but it is better than the old way which was basically to make a cut and tear the nuts out. Of course this was good because we had fresh Rocky Mountain Oysters when we did it that way. Believe it or not, once this is all over, the instant they hit the ground they have no idea it even happened!

This is the brand actually being applied to the side of the Calf. The smell of burning hair is something else! It stays with you for a few days!

Some fun ridin a calf in the chute.

Everything is done and the calves and moms are put back together. The cow/calf pairs will now be turned out in a pasture to eat and fatten up on grass all summer and into the fall.

MrWookie · #2 04-18-2007, 05:47 PM

Excellent thread. Glad to see the pics.

Fishwhenican · #3 04-18-2007, 06:31 PM

The "View" Pics do not really do the place justice
Here is another pic taken at the ranch a couple of years ago of a couple of the Buffalo Bulls out there.

Shadowrun · #4 04-18-2007, 06:34 PM

Nice, the kids really seem to be enjoying themselves.

Fishwhenican · #5 04-18-2007, 07:12 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Nice, the kids really seem to be enjoying themselves.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, the kids really do enjoy helping out. We take kids from the school who are doing well and it is a nice reward for them.

I have taken my kids to some local brandings where they are still using horses to rope the calves and then after they are done they get the little kids and set them on top of the calves when they get up for a little "ride". It's fun.

samsdmf · #6 04-18-2007, 07:33 PM

I must say I envy you, your part of the world is the most beautiful I have ever visited- your pictures brought back some great holiday memories

katyseagull · #7 04-18-2007, 07:52 PM

Wow, great pictures fish! This is a cool thread. Brings back wonderful memories of Montana. I was in great physical shape when I was hiking in Montana.

Anyway, I've got some questions for you.

1. Do they brand the buffalo like they do the cattle? What are the buffalo being raised for, meat?

2. How on earth do they pair the calves up with the right moms? Isn't there mass confusion?

3. How long does it take the uh thingies to fall off after the banding [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Fishwhenican · #8 04-18-2007, 08:20 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Wow, great pictures fish! This is a cool thread. Brings back wonderful memories of Montana. I was in great physical shape when I was hiking in Montana.

Anyway, I've got some questions for you.

1. Do they brand the buffalo like they do the cattle? What are the buffalo being raised for, meat?

2. How on earth do they pair the calves up with the right moms? Isn't there mass confusion?

3. How long does it take the uh thingies to fall off after the banding [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Buffalo do not have to be branded, Thank God! They are not considered livestock. Buffalo are a whole different thing to work with. They are WAY bigger, stronger and much more aggressive than cows. They can even jump regular barb wire fences much like a deer will, believe it or not!

We have done a couple of different things with the buffalo. Right now we mainly use them for the meat in our school cafeterias. It is very healthy and is a traditional Native American food so it fits perfectly. We have also had hunts for buffalo that we have either sold or donated as a raffle item for the tribes and our little fire department. We will also occasionally have to get rid of a buffalo that is being very aggressive or will not stay on the ranch. I have been able to kill 4 of them for this purpose. I took three with my rifle and one with my bow. The one with the bow was very cool and pretty special for me.

The calves and moms just find each other on their own. Not sure if it is a smell thing or what but they know who mom is and as soon as they are put back together they pair right up.

I believe it only takes a couple of week to maybe a month for the testicles to fall off. Banding is supposed to be far less stress on the bull, painless, bloodless and after they are castrated they develop better as far as meat goes.

Colt McCoy · #9 04-19-2007, 09:35 AM

Very cool thread. Thanks. I've never really worked a ranch, but I have a lot of friends with cattle and have helped out occasionally. Lots of hard work, but lots of fun (at least as a break from office work).

Fishwhenican · #10 04-19-2007, 10:37 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Very cool thread. Thanks. I've never really worked a ranch, but I have a lot of friends with cattle and have helped out occasionally. Lots of hard work, but lots of fun (at least as a break from office work).

[/ QUOTE ]

Very true. For folks like me and kids from the school it is a great break from the office or everyday school work. For the Rancher or Ranch Manager it is just another day of work and an unusually hard day at that. So he usually has a different perspective on it being fun.

It also seems like it is a very social event. Usually a rancher is by himself maybe a hired man working on a day to day basis. When branding comes, so do lots of other people. I have been to branding where the whole family is there. Everything from little kids watching and riding calves, grandparents in chairs just watching the little kids and friends and visitors helping out and watching the show. I lot of visiting gets done and there is usually a pretty good lunch as well.

Buffalo Burgers being served!

I have friends I have talked to who have told me about branding when they were kids where it would last for awhile and they would have huge cookouts too. The unusual part was that in at least one instance they told me that instead of butchering a cow for chow they would use a horse! The cows are money for them and a horse wasn't worth as much. He said between the horse and fresh Rocky mountain oysters they ate really well!