Spring - The Idaho Rancher's Wife

Breaking in New Horses

April 18, 2014 by Allison

Every cowboy has a good string of horses and this spring we have been working on ours. We have two new mares that we have been working with. Both of them have been pretty labor intensive but with time we have seen some great progress.

The sorrel (red) horse with a white blaze is Loca. She is a baby from The Rancher’s mare when he was growing up. If you know Spanish, you know that Loca means crazy. She’s named that for a reason! For a couple of years now, The Rancher has been trying to work with her. She’s about to turn 6 (or maybe 7… I’m not quite sure) and for that many years she has been a wild thing. Too wild to really do anything with. We haven’t really even been able to get a halter on her, let alone try anything with a saddle.

One day The Rancher was working with her and he had a rope around her neck. She went to being crazy (like she doe)s and got the rope caught on the fence. She hit the slack and it tightened up around her neck. Being crazy already, she started working against the rope and before long it was tight enough that she passed out. When she tipped over, the rope broke free and loosened up around her neck. Slowly she got up and walked to The Rancher. It was like she was a completely new horse! And ever since that day, she has been a gem to work with.

The Rancher has been a little weary of her, knowing how she used to be a little crazy. But every time he has worked with her its like she has done it hundreds of times. Now all we need is to get a little experience on her and she is good to go!

Our other new horse is Sugar. We bought her from a family that had a few horses and other animals, but they really didn’t have the time to work with her. When we called to tell them we were on our way (it was a few hours to get there) they said, “Are you good with horses? I don’t think that she has ever been loaded in a trailer…”. Oh boy that was a great start!

Don’t worry, she practically loaded herself! The next day we saddled her up to see what kind of skills she had. After only a few minutes The Rancher said, “Well… she has no manners, no steering, and no gas.” I guess that left only room for progress! And boy have we made some progress- we can actually get into a good lope and move left and right. Its still rough, but with time she is going to be a great little pony!

A Herd of (cute) Baldy Calves

April 16, 2014 by Allison

Our herd consists of mostly black cows. That’s not really as surprise since we run black angus cows. But every once in a while I wish we could have a red one or a nice gray. Just to change things up a little, ya know? Its really not likely to happen unless we strait out buy one. Its just not in our gene pool.

Something that we do have thought, are some darn cute baldy face calves! So we can’t have a little extra color in the herd, but at least we get a little white face here and there. Not to long ago we bred our heifers to some hereford bulls (they are red with a white face). It seemed like we didn’t get a single baldy calf out of those batch of babies. Maybe the genes just needed to flow down a few generations before they started to show because these days we have a nice little herd of baldy faced calves.

We weren’t cross breeding just for the looks, if you can believe that. There is something awesome that happens when you cross breed. Heterosis. Instead of getting what you would think is an average performance of both breeds, you end up getting increased performance. The strengths of both breeds come out!

And in this case we get an extra bit of awesome in the cute calves. I’m not sure why, but don’t you think they have an extra bit of cuteness to them? (Should we count how many times I said “cute” in this post?!)

DIY Spring Rope Wreath

April 12, 2014 by Allison

I have a sad story… I have a new camera that I love but that I am having to learn a few things about. I used it to take pictures while I made my wreath and then somehow lost them. I was so sad, but I was able to take new ones of the finished project!

Now that spring is beginning to bloom out here on the ranch I’ve been thinking it’s time to pull out the spring décor. I just need to add a few spring touches to liven things up (or remind me that it’s really spring on those days it doesn’t look like it…).

The sad thing is, I don’t have a lot. Oh wait don’t have any… I don’t even have a festive spring wreath or I should say I didn’t because I made one!

I’ve been wanting to make a wreath for a while and now that I NEEDED one, it meant game on. And on top of that, I’ve really been wanting to make a rope wreath. You see, the cowboys have a BIG stack of old ropes sitting in the shop. Just sitting, begging to be put to use (maybe not for a wreath, but hey…). Not to mention all of the ropes in the tack room that are beginning to pile up. You could see how a girl might want to sneak one and get a little creative, right?!

So I did!

I had a few little bunches of spring flowers and some fun spring ribbon that was just enough to make it work! Out came the glue gun and LOTS of glue sticks and I went to crafting. Yep, that’s all it took- a rope, flowers, ribbon, glue gun and glue.

It didn’t take long and it turned out super cute… so cute I know you want to make one too!

I will tell you the first thing to do if you grabbed an old, used rope is to shake it or beat it or vacuum it because it has probably gathered some good dust over the miles it’s been. A little grit could be fun and since mine was going outside, I didn’t try too hard to get rid of it.

With the dust gone enough that you can work without being in your own little dust cloud, grab some twist ties. You can eve take one off the bread because these are just to help you set your coils. I found that it was a lot easier to get gluing and make progress if everything was being held together. Sadly, I only have two hands which isn’t enough to hold in multiple places and glue. That’s why we have twist ties- or if you are a little boy they work awesome to tether tractors and trailers together…

So get your coils together and glue. I actually flipped mine over to make sure that if there would be any glue showing it would be on the backside.

Once your coils are all glued, it’s time to get a little creative with the flowers and such. I put mine close to the hondue and up the side. They just kind of happened… there wasn’t much rhyme or reason to how they went. I added a little raffia too, just give it a little kick. Then for a finishing touch, I added a little bow. I have a confession to make- I’m not very good at making bows… So mine don’t get fancy, but they’ll do!

Now that you have this AWESOME spring rope wreath, go hang it somewhere. Preferably where everyone will see it and love your craftiness. Or just somewhere that needs a little eye appeal. I’m pretty sure that it will look awesome anywhere! And don’t forget to show me!!

Planting a Seed or Two

April 9, 2014 by Allison

When we were in college, The Rancher worked for an operation that did just as much (or more) farm work as it did ranch work. The Rancher was always a pretty decent farmer, but after working for the Millers, he turned into a dang good farmer. And every spring that farmer comes out of him when there is a little farm work to do! Maybe these days I should call him The Farmer…

We don’t do a lot of “farm” work to put up the acres and acres of hay or grain. We do it mostly when we rotate our crops. In the fall we will dig up a section of alfalfa that needs replanted or the grain that was alfalfa the year before (does it sound like I’m talking in circles? like crop circles… haha!). Ok… we dig up the alfalfa, plant grain, harvest the grain, dig up the grain, and plant new alfalfa. Phew…

Anyway, we dig, or plow, up in the fall so it is ready for planting in the spring.

Now that it is spring, they have pulled out farming equipment, starting with the roller harrow. The roller harrow is used to break up the clumps and make the ground ready for the seed. It also has a drag behind it to get rid of any weeds or such that we don’t want left in. Once the harrowing is done, we are pretty well ready to plant.

Just a few weeks ago we picked up the seed (one of those things we had to catch up on…). The nice sunny weather was a good indicator that is was finally time to plant, but when The Rancher hooked up to the drill (the planter) I knew it was the day. The day to plant a seed or two!

Planting is one of those ranch things we do with a little faith and little prayer. We want to plant as early as possible to get a good start to the crops. If we have to replant again in the spring we lose valuable growing time. We won’t really know if everything went right with the planting for a few weeks when we finally see the green sprouting through. Doing this every year we have a good idea when we are planting how it will turn out, but there is still those few days that we might wonder.

We took the chance to have a family tractor drive this week while we were planting (and while grandpa was leveling the other, other field…). I really should have taken a picture of us in there. You will just have to picture for a minute- The Rancher is driving and I am in the “instructor’s” seat (because I really am the boss, right?!). The dog is crammed in the corner and our kids are moving from side to side (and under dad’s legs) playing with their tractors. Of course there is an awesome pile of dirt and dust on the floor to play in, not to mention the seed that The Rancher’s Sidekick grabbed from the drill. It’s likely that if someone spilled some water in there, something would start sprouting!

I’m sure we are a silly, squishy, filthy looking bunch, but I don’t know if you could find a happier bunch!

How to Fertility and Disease Test Bulls

April 1, 2014 by Allison

We got to use our new silencer chute (hooray for a new chute!) for the first time last week. We had 20 bulls to test and we did it in almost half the time that it took when we used the old one (I think The Rancher will keep it…). It made testing bulls so much more exciting! As if testing for STDs and fertility isn’t exciting enough!

There are regulations that cattle ranchers have to run by, mostly to prevent the spread of diseases through the herd and neighboring cows. Before we can turn our herd bulls out with the cows, we have to test for trichomoniasis (trich)- a disease that will pass between cows and bulls as they breed. This test is state regulated and has to be done by a vet.

I feel bad for the bulls (just a little) because the test requires a few penile cells. To get them they insert a small tube in the folds of the penis and wiggle it around to scrape off a few cells. They are put into a solution to be sent off to be tested. Each year we put tags in to show that the bulls have been trich tested and are good to go.

These days, it is more of a precaution than an actual defense against the spread of trich. The vet was telling us that their clinic went out and tested 35,000 bulls and not one of them tested positive for trich. We like to hear that!

Even if we didn’t test for trich, we would still bring the bulls in to test for fertility. No one makes us do it, but we choose to test as part of our herd management. When we know that there is a bull shooting blanks, we will pull him. If he can’t perform he is costing us, mostly for the cows that don’t get bred (which won’t have a calf to sell).

The vet starts with quick scrotal circumference measurement. It also gives the vet a chance to palpate, or feel, for any deformities or hernias. We’ve got to make sure that the family jewels are in good condition!

That’s the easy part…

In order to test fertility, we need a sperm count. To get a sperm count, we need the bull’s semen. To get the semen, we need the bull to ejaculate. There’s two ways to go about it. You can manually stimulate the bull by going inside the rectum and rubbing. Or you can use an electrical pulsator in the rectum.

We use the puslator, which by has been most commonly called the “Torpedo.” Or The Rancher’s Sidekick called it a rocket (“Mom, what’s grandpa doing with that rocket?”). You call it what you want…

Once the bull begins to ejaculate, the vet will catch about a tablespoon of semen. He takes a few drops of the collected semen to put on a slide to be looked at under his microscope. He can count the number of sperm and tell if there is enough to consider the bull to be fertile. He can also see if there are any damaged or dysfunctional sperm. Even if the pull is making sperm, damaged sperm still won’t do the job. Once we get the all clear we send the bull on his way and start again with the next.

Not everyone will do fertility testing, just assuming that the young bulls are fertile and will pull them as they get older. We’re mighty glad we don’t cull bulls that way… We found a three year old bull that didn’t pass his fertility test. When this happens, we will generally do a second test a few weeks later. The first test could have just been a rusty load or he really could be infertile.

Thanks to the Bear River Animal hospital for coming out and giving us another exciting lesson on the bull end of cattle reproduction!

A Little Fun WIth Some Fuzzy Chicks

March 26, 2014 by Allison

Oh what a terrific few days we have had here! The sun is shining like it belongs! No cloudiness, no showers, yes wind… but we can put up with it. I have been out getting my little vegetable patch all ready to plant (a second little garden plot… because one garden is never enough!). Yes, I don’t plan to plant for a while, but I will be ready when its time!

Sunshine, gardening- this can only mean one thing… SPRING IS HERE! I am acutally having mixed feelings about spring. Don’t get me wrong, I love spring. Love it! I have been cooped up with my kids in this house for far too long. But there is so much work to still get done in the house (I can never keep up with these mess makers!) and all I want to do is go outside. I’m in a dilemma- either I feel guilty when I am outside because there is housework to be done, or I am sad because I am inside NOT enjoying the sun.

I just go outside anyways!

Spending time on the ranch is precious and we never get tired of it. We hang out with The Rancher, we visit the horses and the milk cow. The Rancher’s Sidekick and I practice our roping on the grouchy, white dog (I’m the mom that roped the dog first… I probably shouldn’t be setting such a terrible example). And now we have a few extras friends to visit…

The fuzzy chicks!

Definitely another sign that spring is here! We have had these fellas for a while, but I have just neglected to share them with you. My bad!

On one of my grocery runs I convinced The Rancher to come along and that instantly turned my grocery trip into a ranch trip (no complaints here, though!). At the top of his list was picking up the new chicks at Ward Feed, our local feed store. We got there to find 20 little yellow, fuzzy chicks waiting for us!

The Rancher’s Sidekick was so excited for the little buggers! He insisted on carrying them, but I didn’t think his somewhat careless stroll to the truck would be a very good way to start his relationship with them. We comprimised by mom carrying the chicks and letting them sit by him.

All the way home we had a whole string of lovely “cheeps” from the backseat. The chicks peeped a little too…

Once we got home, the kids couldn’t wait to get the chicks out and play! I’ll admit, I’m not so brave with chickens (oh, ya… you know that already!) and so I only admired, not touched. But my kids were all over it. Maybe it was a little too much loving, but still loving indeed!

Happy spring from a few ranchers that like to pick up chicks!

Spring in January

February 6, 2014 by Allison

You must have been praying for some snow with us because the weatherman is calling for a sever winter storm with 12″ of snow in the valleys and 2-3 feet in the mountains! Yahoo!

Of course it is coming just as we are about to start calving… so I guess now we pray that the calves will keep warm. Oh, the life of a rancher!

With all of the storms heading our way, its hard to believe that less than a month ago our lawns were bare. Our Christmas snow had melted with a few of warm and sunny days. It felt like spring!

The Rancher has really had some spring fever and has been sprucing up the ranch. He has been doing some intense cleaning in the shop and sheds- he even found the back wall of one! They have done some corral repairs and he has even trimmed up the trees.

I don’t know how professional pruners take care of the trees, but I would feel safe guessing that they don’t use a tractor and a chainsaw like these ranch boys! But I guess when that’s what life gives ya, you go with what you got!

Twitterpated Part III: Turn out the Bulls

June 11, 2013 by Allison

So we have talked about the major prep for AI and we have talked about the day we AI. Shall we continue?

We have been focusing on the heifers mostly (because that’s how our breeding season starts) but now we will focus on ALL the momma cows.

The last step is fairly simple- we turn out the bulls. Load ’em up, haul ’em out, turn ’em loose… but I guess there is a little more than that.

Before we can turn out the bulls they have to go through a series of inspections. We want to know that their semen is good (I mean what is the point of a bull that shoots blanks, right?). They also need to be trich (said like “trick”… its an abbreviation of some long bacteria name…) tested. This is SUPER important because they can spread this to cows, who can in turn spread it to other bulls which equals BIG PROBLEMS. So we test them…

The final inspection is done by the ranchers of the cattle association we run with. Everyone must turn out bulls and every one’s bulls need to meat the expectations of the other ranchers. Its only fair, right? If our bulls breed their cows it had better be with a bull they like. And vice versa.

So when the bulls are all approved then it is time to load ’em up, haul ’em out, turn ’em loose!

Twitterpated Part II: AI

June 7, 2013 by Allison

Transitioning into part II requires a little work before the vet can AI. If you recall that during Part I we put in the CIDR, which purpose was to release hormones as well as physically block any semen from entering the uterus. Now that we are ready for them to be bred we need to pull out the CIDR.

Now we are ready to AI

Is a fairly simple process but it will be easier to explain with some pictures I think…

The semen is stored in individual straws that put in a tank that is filled with liquid nitrogen to keep it viable.

The vet will first put one arm into the cows rectum- this is so that he can feel the cervix and will serve as guide to place the semen He then takes a straw (filled with semen) and puts it into an AI gun (the arrow is pointing to the gun) which is inserted into vulva.

He threads the rod of the AI gun through the cervix and into the uterus. Once it is into the cervix he slowly pushes the plunger which injects the semen into the uterus and then removes the gun.

And that’s it! The cow is bred and out she goes. I said it is a simple process… simple if you are explaining. The entire time the vet is doing this he can only go by feel and by his grasp of anatomy. You should be impressed at these cowboys… I am!

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Twitterpated Part I: CIDRs

June 5, 2013 by Allison

On our ranch we really run on Mother Nature’s clock. What I mean is that we grow in the summer (crops and calves), migrate at the end of fall (take our cows to Locomotive), and have babies in the spring. (I would love to hibernate for the winter (what a long nap!) but I don’t think that would work so well…) According to Mother Nature (and Bambi) springtime also means that all the animals, including our cows are twitterpated.

Every May you can count on two things AI-ing and turning the bulls out. This is definitely not a one day thing, in fact what we do is done over a series of weeks and the bulls are left out with the cows most of the summer. So we will break it up into the different parts too!

With our first time heifers we AI (artificially inseminate) them. We want to make sure that they have the best chance of getting bred up well. We also want a little more control of what bull breeds them. When we chose our semen we are able to find bulls that are known to have smaller calves which will be easier for these first time mommas.

In preparation to AI them we first synchronize the heifers so that they will all come into heat at the same time. This makes it easier for The Rancher because then they can all be bred on the same day. We use CIDRs, controlled internal drug releasing devices, which will release hormones to begin them cycling as well as prevent any heifers that may already be in heat from getting bred.

This is sounding way too much like a research paper… In The Rancher’s Wife’s terms the poor girls get all sorts of hormones and birth control to make sure we know when it is… TIME.