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Done With the Preg Checking

November 27, 2013 by Allison

I wish I had a dollar for every time The Rancher says, “Well everything is done for a while until we have to do the ______.”  Like he says that we are done moving cows except for the bunch that needs moving in a week.  Or the bailing is done, but there is the field that was just cut that will need bailed in a few days.  I appreciate that he is trying to make me feel good that things are slowing down but I have learned better.

Lately we have heard the preg checking is done.  Yes, for the forest cows.  But then there was the weekend of preg checking the BLM cows.  And then the strays that come in need checked. And the other bunch of strays.  And the other other bunch.  And now it was time the first calf heifers that had been out to pasture near Blackfoot for the fall. 

The Rancher called me in one fine afternoon, asking for some help to get the heifers pregged up that night because the weatherman was calling for snow.  For some reason they didn’t want to work cows in the yucky cold and wind.  I always come running when The Rancher asks for help, mostly because I don’t want him to think he can do anything with out me (ok really I just love to help and I don’t want him to stop asking).  Usually I end up giving shots at the front but this time I got to run the back.  And I did a great job, if I do say so myself.  It didn’t leave much time for pictures but I snapped a few before the night was over. 

I think that we are really done with the preg checking.  Unless some other ornery cows come from who knows where…  But until then, we are done!

 

 With the time change dusk came upon us and the moon lit the way.  I zoomed in to get a picture and this is what we got.  It wasn’t really this dark, but it turned out kinda fun.

1,2… 1437, 1438, 1439!

November 2, 2013 by Allison

You should have seen all of these cowboys hard at work when they were preg checking these cows.  Most of these guys have been doing this together for years and years so they have it down pat.  They have figured out how to run these cows through fast.  This year they had 1439 cows. Are you impressed?  You should be…

Tools of the Trade

November 1, 2013 by Allison

Part of being a cowboy, especially a cowboy in the middle of nowhere, means having a wide array of tools.  Some of them are intended to be used on the ranch, some are not for the ranch but they actually are quite useful and some are homemade- ghetto-rigged from twine and a branch (because some times that is all they have).

Of course a favorite of any rancher is the hot shot.  Efficiency is important when running through hundreds of cows and a little zap in quite motivating.  Therefore, EVERYONE has one.

When we preg check cows a useful, but out of place tool is bleach.  Like go-to-a-salon type bleach.  They mix it up and paint a splotch according to their expected calving date.  Bleaching their hair is a good way to mark them because it will last until February/March when they start dropping babies. 

Tools are an important part of our work… but it’s funny to see what is the favorite or what homemade tool come up with.

Preg Checking Preview

October 31, 2013 by Allison

The Rancher and the other Curlew Cowboys have spent three days preg checking cows.  It went down a lot better than last year.  The Rancher didn’t accidentally hot shot his horse (and end up on the ground) and we didn’t have to lift a cow out of the alley with a loader.  Yes, it was a few days of pregging cows…

The Rancher’s Assembly Line

September 25, 2013 by Allison

We have our own type of assembly line on the ranch.  No it isn’t putting headlights on the cows as they run past on a conveyer belt.  But each man has a job along the way.  There are the guys that keep the cows flowing.  Without them the rest would be pointless… without cows there is nothing to work on.  Once they get to the front we have the man running the headcatch.  While there the cow is poked and prodded in all sorts of ways.

Preg checking is an important time for us.  It when we learn how the next year will be.  We can see when we will calve, who is calving and who isn’t.  We can cull out the cows we don’t want or need to keep.  We do maintenance stuff like vaccinations and new tags.  This is the only time that we run the cows through and so it is important for us to run through them.  Ans so we set up our assembly line.

I only have a picture of Rancher Sr. preg checking but he and The Rancher swapped on and off whenever their arms get tired.  The Rancher’s Sidekick found all sorts of things to do.  He pulled out the branding irons, syringes, and the pill pusher (that’s what I call it… is there any other name you need?).  I was privileged to give shots.  Gotta love getting out to help The Rancher!

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Hello! I'm Allison, The Rancher's Wife! There's nothing I love more than being out on the ranch with my husband and kids. Join me for a look at what goes on here at the ranch and the life being a rancher's wife!

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Hello! I'm Allison, The Rancher's Wife! There's nothing I love more than being out on the ranch with my husband and kids. Join me for a look at what goes on here at the ranch and the life being a rancher's wife!

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theidahorancherswife

Idaho ranch wife + mama 🐮🤠
Living on cattle, cocoa & kids running wild.
Daily ranch life, western style all with a side of dirt.

They have been looking forward to this day for wee They have been looking forward to this day for weeks. 

And so have I. 

There are days I enjoy the quiet working without them, but soaking up these days working together fills my heart. I already fe they are growing way too fast. 

But I’m sure proud of the young men they are becoming. 

#mommaletyourbabiesgrowuptobecowboys 
#ranchkid
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#cowboylife
Putting your kindergarten math skills to the test Putting your kindergarten math skills to the test 🤣. The Rancher got 63 and I… got 63 too 😮‍💨. If our numbers were different, he would definitely be wrong, not me 😬

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#weaningcattle 
#cattleranching
#countingcows
If you ever wondered if God hears a weary, wanderi If you ever wondered if God hears a weary, wandering cowgirl, I can assure you he does. 

The days riding up and down the mountain looking for cattle can get long. I had found a pocket of cows tucked under some cedar trees but had quite a ways to get there to them. Crossing through a big wash, I lost track of exactly which trees I was heading for. 

It’s silly but I felt defeated and frustrated. With a much closer perspective of that mountainside, everything looked different. I decided to backtrack a little, not wanting to skip any patch of trees that *could* have been the ones. 

As I started riding forward I said a silent prayer, ”Lord, help me find these cows.”

Less than 30 seconds later, I hear a single “moo” behind me. I whipped around to see just the nose of a cow poking out behind the black shade of the tree. 

I had found the cows!

Let this be a little reminder that God cares, even about helping find cows on the mountain. You just have to ask for help. 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#godfearingcowgirl 
#outontherange 
#godbless
Trail side musing from The Idaho Rancher’s Wife… i Trail side musing from The Idaho Rancher’s Wife… in the end, I should have grabbed the jacket 🤦🏼‍♀️
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#musings 
#cowboylife 
#outontherange
Crisp fall mornings gathering cattle off the mount Crisp fall mornings gathering cattle off the mountains of the summer range are some of my favorite days of the year! 

My house is a mess, the laundry is piling up and the to-do list is fiercely long, but I won’t give up these days for anything. 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranching 
#outontherange 
#fallwork
Last night I looked up at the countless star above Last night I looked up at the countless star above me and, not for the first time, was in awe of this beautiful world we live in!

There are plenty of things I’d change about living in the middle of nowhere, don’t get me wrong. But giving up the life that comes with them isn’t one of them.

What would be on your list of inconveniences? 
What makes it worth it for you?

Read my list on my website, TheIdahoRanchersWife.com
https://theidahorancherswife.com/10-downsides-of-rural-ranch-life-but/

#ruralliving 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#countryliving 
#sograteful
“Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful, a “Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful, and most noble employment of man”. George Washington 

Amen, George. Amen. 

They sure don’t make presidents like they used to…

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#agriculture 
#horseofinstagram 
#ranchlife
Yes, the American beef herd is shrinking. We all k Yes, the American beef herd is shrinking. We all know that. And it’s a REALLY valid concern. 

But did you also know that annually, ranchers are producing more pounds than the year before? Since 2023, we have averaged nearly 50 pounds more per carcass! 

That doesn’t mean the shrinking herd isn’t a supply problem—it clearly is. But it means head count alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

These facts tell me that ranchers are doing all they can, despite challenges like rising input costs and drought conditions, to provide beef to American families. 

If we really want to support producers rebuilding their herd, here’s my suggestion:

Lower our input costs, not the price of our cattle.

And let’s start with fuel.  Because that not only supports the American rancher, but American families as well. 

If you want us to raise more cattle, help make it more affordable to raise them.

If you could make one change for producers, what would it be? Tell me in the comments! 👇🏻👇🏻

#lifeonacattleranch
#beefindustry
#cattleindustry
#ranching
agriculture
No complaints today using our new @pneudart gun to No complaints today using our new @pneudart gun to doctor a few animals today. I only wish I could be this accurate roping… Excuse me while I get some practice in- a LOT of practice 😂 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#dartgun 
#doctoringcattle 
#ranchlife
Direct-to-consumer beef is a lane, not a highway. Direct-to-consumer beef is a lane, not a highway. 

Every time we talk about the challenges facing the beef industry, I hear the same solution: Why don’t consumers just buy directly from ranchers?

There’s a place for direct-to-consumer beef. I believe that. But as a cow-calf producer, I also know it isn’t a realistic answer for most ranchers—or a replacement for the system that moves beef from the ranch to grocery stores and restaurants across the country.

The problem isn’t that every rancher needs to find a way around the beef supply chain. We need to look at how we make the system itself more competitive.

Read my latest ag column: “Direct-to-Consumer Beef Is a Lane, Not the Highway.” https://theidahorancherswife.com/direct-to-consumer-beef-is-a-lane-not-the-highway/

#IdahoRanchersWife 
#LifeOnACattleRanch 
#BeefIndustry 
#CattleIndustry 
#AmericanBeef
Four years ago, I wrote a letter apologizing to my Four years ago, I wrote a letter apologizing to my kids’ teachers for the fact that my ranch kids had spent their summer doing everything except what most people would consider “schoolwork.”

Four years later, I owe their teachers an update.

The ranch still doesn’t do worksheets, summer reading schedules, or packets of problems to complete before lunch. But it has continued teaching some pretty important lessons—responsibility, problem-solving, consequences, patience, hard work, economics, and eventually, confidence.

They may not all show up on a report card, but I’m beginning to think they belong on one anyway.

Dear Teacher of My Ranch Kid, four years later…

https://theidahorancherswife.com/a-letter-to-a-teacher/

#RanchLife
#RaisingRanchKids
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher
#RanchMom
I’ve learned that “quick” is a relative term when I’ve learned that “quick” is a relative term when spoken by a rancher. 

A parts run can become a multi-town scavenger hunt, and checking water can turn into fixing fence, chasing cows and solving the world’s problems over a barbed-wire fence. 

But somehow, I still climb into the pickup every time. Am I the only one??

Read it all at TheIdahoRanchersWife.com

#RanchWifeLife
#RanchLifeHumor
#RanchWife
#LifeOnACattleRanch
#MarriedToARancher
He’s adamant we can’t call him cute because ranche He’s adamant we can’t call him cute because ranchers aren’t cute. And while he wrong that ranchers aren’t cute, he is totally right that he is a rancher, little as he is. 

When a broken water system, wandering cattle, and a handful of unexpected problems all hit on the same day, everyone on our ranch had to pitch in—even the youngest hands. 

It was a reminder that on a ranch, there’s always work for someone willing to learn, and today’s little helper often becomes tomorrow’s dependable hand.

Read the whole story on the blog: https://theidahorancherswife.com/an-all-hands-on-deck-kind-of-day/

#ranchlife #cattleranching #learningonthejob #allhandsondeck #lifeonacattleranch
Since we don’t have a maid, a laundress, a chef or Since we don’t have a maid, a laundress, a chef or a chauffeur, I tend to have less days on the ranch then I’d like. 

Silver lining- I get to be in the air conditioned house instead of sweating in this summer heat 😆. 

If I get to pick and choose my days out working, I’ll choose a day on horseback, EVERY TIME. 

But it makes me wonder- what would you choose? 
Moving cows?
Roping?
Planting?
Working cute side?
A day in the shop? 
Building fence…? 🤪

Tell me in the comments below!⬇️ 
#ranchlife
#whatsyourfavorite 
#marriedtoarancher 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#adayontheranch
God Bless America, Land That I Love #lifeonacattl God Bless America, Land That I Love 
#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchlife #IndependenceDay #proudtobeanamerican
Sometimes I ask myself if we are in the midst of a Sometimes I ask myself if we are in the midst of a second dust bowl era. Who knew you could stir up such a mess?! 

We pray for rain but then we also say, “but if not… bless us to know what else there is to be done.”

I don’t know any rain dances, unless you count the pat down I do to the shake off the dust. But I do know how to keep hoping, praying, and trying again tomorrow. 
 
Because really, what else is there?

Giving up? I don’t think so. 

#prayforrain
#dustfordays 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife
He is hands down everyone’s favorite guy in this h He is hands down everyone’s favorite guy in this house.

Dad means fun and adventure.
Dad means possibilities and opportunities.
Dad means trying new things.

Dad means catching frogs, checking cows, taking the long way home, and saying “hop in” when there’s work to be done.

Dad means learning how to work hard, laugh often, and not be afraid to get a little dirt on your boots.

Dad means safety and security.
Dad means knowing someone is always in your corner.
Dad means being loved, protected, and believed in.

Around here, Dad is the one who can fix almost anything, answer almost any question, and somehow make every ordinary day feel like an adventure.

Happy Father’s Day to our favorite cowboy.
A friend recently passed way. At his funeral multi A friend recently passed way. At his funeral multiple people said that he named his family as greatest accomplishment of his life. 

He had known success and failure, but through it all he was most proud of raising a family and what they had become. 

I have dreams and goals, but that idea of the greatest success comes from the family you raise is really hitting home for me lately. I take more pride it’s seeing my kids accomplish things than in my own accomplishments. 

These days on the range working tinder as a family have been a treasure. I realize that we don’t have many years left before the first kids start leaving the herd so I’m going to soak it all in while I can. 🥹

#ranchlife 
#familyranching 
#ranchinggenerations 
#movingcattle 
#outontherange
There is no one with a sniffer that can out sniff There is no one with a sniffer that can out sniff a bull surround by cows in heat. This tantalizing pheromones can bring in bulls over the mountains, miles away. 

That puts even my teenage son smelling dinner on the stove to shame 🤣 

But that’s just fine. These bulls have a lot of work to covering a herd it in the range. Three months of hard work before they go back to the life of luxury. 

Here’s a little breeding trivia (I post the answers in the comments later tonight): 
How far can a bull smell a cow in heat?
How long is a cow in heat?
What is the average number of cows a bull will cover in a breeding season?

#ranchlife
#cattle 
#breedingseason 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher
The people. The work. The laughing. The food. T The people. 
The work.
The laughing. 
The food. 
The dust… strike that, not the dust…

I think this season of branding has been favorite. One to remember for sure. 

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchlife #brandingseason #cowboylife
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