Nelson Ranch: Thankful for a Wonderful 017 Summer/Fall

Nelson Ranch: Thankful for a Wonderful 017 Summer/Fall: So Thankful :     3 Thankfuls for Summer/Fall 017:  Great Grass Year,  No Fires  & 6th Generation Granddaughter Averie participating in ...

Thankful for a Wonderful 017 Summer/Fall

So Thankful 

3 Thankfuls for Summer/Fall 017:  Great Grass Year,  No Fires  & 6th Generation Granddaughter Averie participating in Ranch's activities. 

Grandpa Brian and Averie

Averie and Mayder Dog

Summer and fall came and went by so Fast!  We had lots of Grass this year with the really wet Spring. Unfortunately, we ended up having 90 days without rain and it turned out to be dusty and alittle dry scary for potential fires.  Luckily the rain came and snow, and we avoided fires in this area. So Thankful for no fires in this area this year!

Grass is the main staple of our cows.  We as Ranchers are really in the business of raising and creating Grass. In this area Bunchgrass and Bromegrass are the main species that grow well here. We manage our pastures so that year after year they produce the maximum amount. We control the weeds and fertilize the pastures. In the forest permits, we make sure the cattle are scattered out by rotating the cows from one unit to another and have a monitoring system to keep track of the progress of the grass and management systems. We work with the Forest Service personnel to insure best management practices on the US forest permits. The cows are out on the forest permits from June to Oct.  They are then on home pastures for Fall, Winter and Spring. Hay is usually fed  from Dec. to May. This was an excellant Grass year.  We put up lots of Grass hay for them to eat in winter. We still buy hay as well for a reasonable price this year.  Cattle eat about 2.5 tons of hay for an average winter season. For 800 cattle that is 2000 tons of hay.  What a mouthful!

Lovely Grass Hay Fields

Awesome Grass

Brian Cutting Hay

Grandpa Brian, Averie and Frank

Here "Frank"

We round up the Cattle from the US forest Service in Sept./Oct.

At Nicholson Creek Camp

Jessie Horse

Magic Helping " Go Forward you Cows!"

At Four Corners Corral

At the Half Mile Corral

  Horse Crew Resting for Doing a Good Job.

Cow Camp Round up Crew

Let's Move " Onward " to Corral, Steve H. moving cows down the lane.

Magic Keeping Cows at Rendezvous site.

Averie, Katie, Jarred, Wendy, Lynne
Go Cowboys and Cowgirls!

Averie/Katie and Nick : Moving cows down the Road to Ringwood Corral

Capable Cowgirls!!

Averie holding Ferbie and Frank at Break time

" I Love my Horse Ferbie"

Almost to Ringwood Corral

Lynne and Tex,  Just about There

 Averie on Radio: " We Made It to Ringwood Corral" 

So Blessed to Be an American Cowgirl!!

We continue to strive and put in alot of work to produce Quality Beef Protein for People to eat.  Be sure to visit the website: www.wabeef.org to get more information about us Washington beef 

producers and  lots of tasty beef recipies. Eat Beef!!

Eating Awesome Beef Chile at Cowcamp 

Thank you all for visiting our Nelson Ranch Blogsite.  Be sure to Follow us on Facebook for current activities.

Cynthia Nelson- RancHer
Washington Producer of Quality Beef Cattle

Magic,  Cynthia, and Averie

May/June 017 Branding and Turnout

Cynthia and Magic   " RancHer"

Branding and Turnout Time at the Nelson Ranch

Welcome Back to the Nelson Ranch Blog site.  May and June Flew by after a long and wet Spring season.  614 Cow pairs were branded and turned out in a US forest permit for Summer grazing. Again lots of hard work involved in the last 2 months. The cows are gathered from the Spring pastures and the calves are given their second set of vaccinations to ensure healthy lives.  

Why brand? They are branded so they can be identified throughout their life process. Nelson Ranch brand was originated by a neighbor and the earliest recorded registration by the Washington Dept. of Agriculture was on 1941 by Frank S. Nelson, Brian's Grandfather. It is a Sixshooter Pistol on the Right Hip facing the Head. The cow pairs are turned out to the Forest Summer Pasture until Sept. They have a important job, they graze all summer long to help manage the underbush in the forest to reduce and prevent wildfire issues. 

Sixshooter Pistol Brand

On the Right Hip

Averie 6th Generation Cowgirl Supervising

Nick vaccinating cows, Averie and Matt manning gate.

Grandpa Brian, Averie and Cynthia taking a Break

Averie and Brian "Kicking Back"

"My Earring Tag"

Getting ready to gather cow pairs

Can I Ride?

Nick and Jessie

Katie riding Frank

Next up!!

All Done!

Averie and Matt getting calves in chute

Going to check for more

Almost done for the day!

Averie Helping Grandpa Brian to go sort calves

Calves to brand at Teas Corral

Wendy and Wylie pushing calves down the Lane

John, Wendy and Nick:Awesome Branding Crew this day

Billie pushing calves down chute

John Billie,and Wylie Getting ready to gather more cow pairs

Let's go to the corral!

Awesome Cowboy!

John, Billie, and Nick at Teas Corral

Sorting calves from cows to brand

After Branding the calves, cows are paired up with their calves and taken to the Forest to be turned out for summer grazing.

Camping Out for Turnout

Campsite at Squaw camp Corral

Unloading cow pairs in corral.

Pairing up calves and cows before turning out in forest.

Jessie taking a "Break"

Gathering more cow pairs from the Spring pastures by home.

Putting more pairs in corral from trailers.

Go Cowgirls!  Katie and Averie

Averie getting a Drink, Awesome chaps!

Turnout horse crew.

Away we go into the forest!

At the old Maria's Creek Corral

Almost there!

Finally ready to go out!

Out into the forest, paradise at last!


Turning out cow pairs into the Forest permits helps manage the land in many ways. Ranchers maintain the fences and water sources not only to benefit the cattle but also the numerous wildlife species in the area.

Be sure to visit wsbc@wabeef.org to get many important facts about our beef industy today.

Cynthia Nelson "RancHer"
Nelson Ranch