Bringing in the cows and calves
It finally stopped raining long enough to allow us to brand some calves. Clouds were threatening, but with lots of good help, we got through them. They were, as my Dad used to say, “Big enough to get ahold of.”
cows checking the clouds
Eamon watching Jeff chase the errant cow
Jeff bringing her in
Jeff and Mike watching the calves
ready for the shearers
heading up the chute
Alejandro helping ewes up the chute
bucks ready for a fleecing
shearing with skill
down the ramp
Ten pounds lighter!
shorn sheep
Cora with wool packer
wool ready to pack
Oscar and Meghan
Pepe processing ewes
all hands and the cook
Ewes eating hay on the Red Desert
March is here, but still thinks it’s winter. Lander Lil (Wyoming’s version of Puxatawny Phil) definitely saw her shadow, maybe two shadows on Prairie Dog Day. All our sheep are close to the Red Desert winter camp. Usually, they are separated by many miles on our winter BLM grazing permits. This year, we asked for an emergency declaration so that they can stay close to the corn and hay which is sustaining them. Most years, we only give corn until about February 1st, when most of the ewes have been bred. This year, we see no end in sight, although we are hopeful. We, the sheepherders and the sheep are all happier when they are out walking around and grazing. In the meantime, we bring feed in on the one plowed road into the permit.
Winter quarters
Unloading hay
Oscar and Tiarnan with the stack
Oscar loading the bucks
Home Sweet Home
Border collie looking for work
sunirse with the cookhouse bell
the big kids’ table at Thanksgiving
sunrise over Flattop and Lucky Butte
Bringing the cows and calves home
In the fall, the cows and calves are gathered into private pastures near the Home Ranch. They have spent the summer months grazing on National Forest permits. It takes several “back rides” to make sure that all the critters have come down from the summering ground, and we collect them into pastures where they can graze and hang out until it is time to sort them. Here are some views of our family, friends and employees moving cows and calves closer to home. Soon it will be time to load the calves onto trucks to their new homes, and the cows onto trucks to go to winter pastures and cornfields where they will ruminate and gestate until spring.
The cows and the sheep have been sharing the Sheep Mountain pasture.
Trailing past the sheep camp.
Avencio and the sheep are staying behind.
Heading past the reservoir
trailing along the ditch
a ewe and lamb came along
crossing the Little Snake River bridge
Will and Micah heading for the gate
Eamon counting cows through the gate
the fishermen were not disturbed
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