April/May Branding and Farming Time

Brian on "Frank" gathering cow/calf pairs on local pastures to bring to corral. 

April and May is the Season to gather the cow calf pairs to vaccinate the cows and give the second round of shots to the calves. We also brand the calves before they are turned out to the Forest Permits in June. It usually takes 3 - 4 branding and gathering days to do groups of 200 pairs or more. 

John on "Hank" by Muskrat Lake.

John and Nick pushing calves in main Corral.

Colorful Calf.

Nick counting calves.

Who is Counting Who?

Nick and  Robin running chute. John pushing calves in chute.

Nick Branding, Stephanie giving vaccinations.

Stephanie drawing up vaccinations.

Almost Done!

Boy, I am glad that I am done!

Beautiful Calf Crop!

Where's my Mommy!

Last Group to Go.

Relaxing After Working all Day.


Days between branding and gathering the pairs, Nick and Brian are planting the next hay crop. About 500 acres are worked and seeded.

Nick planting around Muskrat Lake

Seeding Triticale hay.

Filling the last seed in the planter. Now let in Rain!


May also is the time to check miles of fencing and to get ready to turn 614 cow pairs out on to the Forest Permits in June. The next Blog story will be our June adventures of Turning out!


Cynthia Nelson, Nelson Ranch  

Calving Right Along/ March 2015

Night Shift calving at 01am!

Calving In Full Swing!

As of this week, 330 calves are now born and another 250 or so to go.  They are coming around 10 to 15 a day. The weather has been really great.  Mostly bare ground now after the big meltdown in early Feb. We did have a brief snowstorm last week with a night of 10 inches!  Already it is melted and mud is everywhere. The new calves that are born are tagged and vaccinated every day around noon and turned out into adjacent pastures. The cows are checked around the clock every 4 hours for any issues that may develop.

Calving Pens

Cows ready to Calve

Stephanie and Nick helping turning pairs out.

 Brian Tagging and Vaccinating calves

Lovely "Brahma X  Heifer!

Cow Pair Pasture

Awesome Hereford  X Calf

Moving pairs to adjacent pasture after tagging

Weary Cattleman's Staples:  Coffee, Peanut butter sandwiches, and Ibuprofen for all the achy muscles!!

Calving season goes onward into April and in May: Another 250 calves to go! 

Join us for Branding Time Next in May.

Cynthia Nelson,  Nelson Ranch

Gearing up for Calving Season! Jan/Feb 015

Gearing Up for Calving Season

Brian, Cynthia , Nick and Stephanie have been hard at work preparing for the busy Calving Season which officially starts Feb 18th. (+ or minus 2 weeks!) The barns are cleaned and the calving pens are arranged with feeders and panels. Snow plowing the pens is also done. The heifers and cows are given their Scourguard shots to help prevent scours in the calves after birth when they are brought to the calving pens. 

Nick Plowing Snow

Plowing the Cow Calving Pen

Moving right along. 

Almost Done!

Brian and Nick Giving Heifers Scourguard shots at Main Corral

Next!!

"Magic" patiently waiting to move Heifers to calving pen

Heifers ready to go to calving pen.

Stephanie and "Outlaw"

Going to the Calving pen

132 Heifers moving along

Stephanie and Nick bringing up the rear.

Almost There.

Stephanie on "Outlaw", Nick on "Jessie"

Final Gate to Destination

One more Turn

Calving pen behind house

We Made It!

132 Heifers are now in the calving pen behind the main house to be observed when they calve. We start to check them round the clock every 3-4 hours. The first one is to start soon.  We will move the main cow herd , about 500, to the cow calving pens in the next few days.  Our next story will be about the Calving process and we will keep you posted on more daily activities via Facebook.

Cynthia Nelson, Nelson Ranch

Happy Holidays!! Nov/Dec Weaning Time and Winter Feeding

Weaning Time

November and December we gather the cows and calves from the home pastures after Roundup from the forest to wean the calves. We then send most of them to Para Livestock Feedlot, Othello, Wa where they are fed from 550 pounds average weaning weight to about 1300 pounds harvest weight by  Sept 2015.

Brian on "Buddy"

Gathering pairs by "Warren Place" Homestead

Pasture by Canadian Border

Stephanie on "Outlaw", Brian on "Frank" at Canadian Border pasture

Nick sorting Calves

Sending by truck to Para Livestock

Paperwork for sending by truck being done at the "Office"

Last of the cows being found in the Forest at Cow Camp Corral

Hauling out of Cow Camp, Actually made it out with chains!

Winter Feeding Starting for all 800+ animals! Dec 10th.

It takes most of the morning to feed all of them by tractor/wagon and trucks.

Brian feeding with tractor/wagon

Feeding by Muskrat Lake

Feeding by Ray's Allotment

Mt. Baldy in the Backgd/  Ray's Allotment Winter Feeding Grounds

Nick Feeding Bulls at Colble's Pasture

Winter has settled in the Northwest

Where has the year gone??

We at the Nelson Ranch had a great 2014 year and we are looking forward to a Fantastic 2015 New Year!!

Brian on "Frank, Cynthia on "Magic" The "A"Team Members

Happy Holidays!
 
Cynthia Nelson