Working the Fall Calves and Cows

Saturday was cattle working day.

 We had 58 pairs and 9 replacement heifers to vaccinate, deworm and castrate the bull calves.

 Luckily, we had V and M to help.  V said this was M's 3rd year helping us with this chore.  He sure makes my job easier.  I no longer have to help sort or hold tails for castrating.

 J had to make sure everyone knew what to do.

 And that's M in there doing my old sorting job.

 Everything was pretty smooth until we got to the heifers.  The head gate was too wide for the first one and her shoulders went though instead of catching and closing the gate.  The problem came when her hips hit instead and now she was stuck.  We couldn't get her to go forward or backwards.  M was able to pull a toggle pin on one side to give a little more slack and then with brute force pull the other side open a tad further while I helped J push her backwards.  She got out with no harm done but put us about 15 minutes behind schedule.

 The calves were last, then we were done.

The weather was perfect.  V even said with her coveralls and long underwear on, that she was the perfect temperature.  I don't think she has ever said that before, so I took her picture to commemorate the occasion.