Calving Season is Officially Here!

Calving Season is Starting!

Last week Brian and Nick were getting the calving pens and barns ready to bring the cows closer to home to be able to check them every 4 hours round the clock for the calving process. 

Pen behind house

Heifer pen

First calf born Feb 12th!!

Mother of the First calf of the season #70

The next phase is to bring all the cows home from the adjacent pastures to the Calving pens.  On Friday,Valentines Day! Feb 14th,  Nick and Sarah rode horses while Brian led the Large group of 435 cows with the Tractor and a bale of hay to the main corral to give them their Scourguard shot prior to calving. 

Nick Riding Rose, Sarah on Frank

It was a very windy, snowy and cold morning that day.

Brian leading cows with Tractor across the Road

Sarah behind herd on Frank

Made it across the Road

On the way to the Main Corral!! All 435 of them!

The weather finally got nice and sunny, Brian and Tyler pushing cows to the chute where Sarah and Nick will give them their shots.

Sarah is the "Pole Girl" 

Nick giving the shots

All done, ready to Calve in the next 2 Months!!

Yesterday the weather was wet and cold in the am and the next calf born was brought in by the house fire to "Warm up"!

Feeling much better!

Nice and Warm by the fire!

Back with "MOM"

Calving season is now officially here. We have about 435 cows and 154 heifers to calve out in the Next 2 months. 5 calves are already born and many more to come! The cows and heifers are checked every 4 hours  round the clock for the next 2 months for any problems. The calves are usually tagged with the mother's number and given thier first shots.  Will update process in the next 2 months!! Already wishing for Spring and warmer weather to Arrive !

Cynthia Nelson, Nelson Ranch

Jan/Feb : Winter Feeding Before Calving.

Winter Feeding Time on the Ranch

Up on the Mountain top!

Feeding with Trailer

Going down the road to feed

Loading trailer

Winter Feeding Time
 Howdy!  Feeding 720 mouths takes almost most of the day for the Nelson Crew!  Brian and Nick start about 630 am in the morning and  feed to about 1 pm.  It takes about 14 large square bales and 17 large round  bales of Hay and Straw daily. After feeding various other tasks are getting done to prepare for the hectic calving season which starts Feb 19th this year. In addition to hay and straw the cows get minerals and a protein molasses supplement. Next Friday about 180 of the young Heifers will be getting their first vaccine to prevent brucelosis disease.

This year the snow is not as deep as it was last year. It still takes most of the day to feed all the cows in the various pasture groups. Calving will start in mid February and then never a dull moment!  
Cynthia Nelson, Nelson Ranch

Weaning Time! Nov/Dec

Brian weaning calves at home corral

Weaning Time at the Ranch!

This is the time we separate the cows from the calves and vaccinate the calves and worm them. We also worm the cows. We usually gather the pairs in groups of about 150 to 200 and bring the calves to the main corral by the house. We  then leave the cows in the fall/winter pastures. We have about 500 calves to wean. It takes most of Nov. and Dec to do this. After they are weaned we either sell some the calves( keeping our best heifers for relacements) or send them to a feedlot for another 8 months or so until they are 1300 pounds to harvest.  It depends on the price of feed and the price of weaned calves as to what we may end up doing. 

Gathering cow pairs 

Moving down the road

Checking for openings

Going in corral

Sorting calves from cows

Backing trailor to load calves

Awesome calf!

"I'm ready"

Getting ready to go

Calves are sorted and then put in trailors to haul home from some pastures

The calves are vaccinated and wormed after getting home and settling down for a few days.

Vaccinating calves

Usually it takes most of Nov and Dec to wean and vaccinate and bring home all 500 calves.  Soon the the winter season of feeding the cows at home pastures starts.

Cynthia Nelson, Nelson Ranch

Sept/Oct 2013 Roundup Time!!

Roundup Time at the Nelson Ranch!

Sept and Oct are the months of rounding up cattle on the Forest Permits. We have 614 pairs to find in a very unique forest service permit. Brian, Nick and Lynne Greenwood are the main riders this fall. The "A" Horse Team composes of "Frank", "Rose" and " Tex" The team usually rides everyday for at least 4-5 hours and to this date they have about 300 pairs and another 300 or more to go! Lots of challenges and adventures getting the cow pairs to the corrals and home! 

Cow Camp

Pushing cows to Cow Camp Corral

Nick and Rose

Nick using Radio near Buckhorn Mine

Frank and Brian

Buddy overlooking terrain, miles and miles to find cows!

Where are the cows?

Brian using Radio overlooking Toroda Creek

Lynne and Tex at Twin Lake waitng for more cows to come.

Cow at Twin Lakes area

Rose and Frank resting

Looking for cows.

Loading up at Ringwood Corral

Nick and Rose pushing cows on truck to get loaded to go home.

Loading semi-truck at Ringwood Corral

Semi truck loading at Ringwood Corral

 Fall is evident with all the beautiful colors and rounding up the cattle to get them home from the forest permits takes a whole lot of team effort and coordination.
Cynthia Nelson, Nelson Ranch