Thursday, May 1, 2014

The Dinner Bell

This time of the year we spend a lot of time feeding. Well, let me amend that...DH spends a lot of time feeding. I love going with him though and I think he kind of likes having his own personal gate opener-upper Yesterday was especially nice - the wind didn't blow which in turn, means the dirt didn't blow. The high was 68 and outside was the only place to be.

So I thought I'd drag y'all along for a feed run. Until it rains, this is our life. I'll spare you the 30 minutes of scouring the pasture in search of something that resembles a bovine, but this first little video lets you in on what the bovine dinner bell sounds like. Turn down your volume a bit - its pretty loud. DH chooses the perfect spot to stop, depending on the wind and direction of the herd that allows the siren to travel the maximum distance in order to call the cattle in. You're not missing anything if you stop the video after the siren quits. I just haven't figured out how to edit yet. :) Heck, I'm impressed that I finally figured out how to post videos!

           

Then we wait for  more of this:

                    

DH is counting what's come in and scanning the horizon for stragglers and slow pokes:

                                             

Some are quite docile:

                   

While others voice their displeasure more than others at having to wait:

                                        

Once they all arrive at the dinner table, we dole out the cake which is what we call the cubes. When the kids were little, they would often arrive at the dinner table with a soggy cube in hand that they had been gnawing on. My mother was horrified when she first saw this and said that we were raising heathens. LOL

Its not very exciting - just hungry heifers and bulls, but I've had some requests about what we do out here so here it is for your viewing pleasure:




At some point you hear 'oww'. That's just my reaction to a rut in the road that caused my backside to come in contact with a stray mesquite branch that was wedged in the tire I was sitting in. It happens.

Once everyone is happily munching, we make another circle and take role call. Everyone needs to be present and accounted for so a good count is essential. That lets us know if we've got to search for anyone. Feeding allows DH to keep a close eye on everyone. He can tell at a glance if something's off. Perhaps someone's sick or is off calving or ended up in a neighboring pasture which means fencing is added to the day's chores.

Thanks for tagging along today!

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is your feeder a T&S Trip Hopper?They are built at Jermyn ,Texas which is about 20 miles from where I live.I know there are others but sure are a lot of them around

Nancy said...

Thanks for jogging my memory banks - looks and sounds VERY familiar. We fed baled alfalfa and sometimes silage instead of the cubes and COUNT, COUNT, COUNT.

Pauline said...

Great video, and guess what! I could SMELL those cows! Ken was raised on a cattle ranch and isn't familiar with that type of feeded an would love to see a picture of it? His dad use to set his old pick up on compound, inch out the throttle and climb into the back of the truck to dump the bags of feed as they drove along.

juliehallfeldhaus said...

My hubby loves a gate opener too!!

Joyce said...

Thanks for the videos, how many head do you run? It is fun to see the different personalities of the animals as they chase the feed truck.

Dirt Road Quilter said...

Hi, Joyce, you are showing up as a non-reply blogger so I can't reply back to you. If you'll email me, I'll get back to you. :)

Dar said...

This was so interesting to me. I've never known anyone who raised that big a herd and on so many acres. I really admire you and all you do to help at the ranch. That would be a fun vacation for a person not familiar with that life -- need any help?? :)

NaomiG said...

Love it! My toddler thought these videos were the coolest thing ever, and is requiring that we watch them over and over. :-)

Vicki said...

I would be scared beyond words. Once when we lived in Utah a bunch of horses got loose and were running for the highway which ran down the pasture. So hubby and some others stopped and tried to make a half circle with cars and trucks so they would head back into the field. One of the horses came right up to my window. Let me tell you I couldn't get that window up quick enough! They all made it back in with the help of the sheriff and neighbors, and no one was hurt. But it sure did not make me any easier around farm life. Lol City life for me (Greenacres sound track inserted here)

surinam said...

c est super le rassemblement des animaux,grandiose par rapport a nos patures de France...j aime lire ton blog

Unknown said...

Wish I had my Dad's cattle yell on tape somewhere. Used to make my hair stand on end when he'd let out that yowl! Count me in as one who used to snack on cow cake! It doesn't taste the same as it did when I was a kid and helping feed the calves!

Nancy said...

Oh, Karin, what fun to be able to step into your world for four minutes! It was interesting to watch the bovines as they waited, some impatiently, others with a little pushing and shoving for space. And then the ride. I'm still hearing the rhythmic clunk of the feed dispenser. How many are in your herd? Thanks for sharing!

Lea said...

I loved watching these videos. Thank you.

Sarah said...

Sheep I can handle. Cows scare me! It's the size of them.

Staci said...

Hi Karin! Can't believe it's been a month since I visited your blog!
I enjoyed your videos very much! What are the cubes made of?

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