Ranch Operations

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Cattle Ranch

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The cattle ranch operation is a year 'round activity - from babies to brandings.

Cows graze on the pasture and reduce the risk of fire.

Brandings usually occur in February. Young calves are branded, given inoculations to protect them against serious cattle diseases like blackleg, and checked for health problems. Computer chips require close contact. Ear tags often get pulled out in the brush. There is a tradition of friends and neighbors at brandings - we all help each other out. It is a time of hard work, a time to celebrate the results (the calves) of a years worth of work (selecting breeding bulls, culling some cows, and keeping the best and maintaining their health), and a time to compare your herd with other herds in the area.

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We feed hay during calving season just to make the cows and calves line up so we may inspect them daily.

The brand pattern above reflects one of the ranch brands V/C, a brand my grandmother Anna Vickers Crawford had in 1935. I took it over in 2000. The number 3 indicates that this is a herfer (female) calf, born in 2003. This enables us to know which bulls w











The lineup allows us to look for cows due to calve shortly, so we can keep an eye on them to make sure everybody is healthy through the process.


As the summer climate gets warmer and drier, so does the pastureland for the cattle.

Hay is also used to supplement pasture feed in the late summer, until the winter rains come.

Florence

Florence is at least 20 years old.