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Wool Away

San Antonio bound

We just sold three years worth of wool. In 2020, the Trump trade war with China, and Covid 19, caused the previously decent price of wool to plummet. We decided to keep that year’s clip in hopes of higher prices in the future. We’d heard stories of sheep producers who had held their wool throughout the Depression, then sold several year’s worth for good money when the United States entered World War II and needed wool for uniforms and other strategic goods. In 2021, the wool market and the trade situation had not improved, so we kept a second year’s clip. We have a large shed where we can store the wool, so were not accruing storage charges at a wool warehouse. This year, we visited with the wool buyers, who advised us that the world political situation was not improving, but that prices were up somewhat. We decided to sell the 2020, 2021 and 2022 clips, which required two semis with long flatbeds. The first truck driver was from Uzbekistan, and spoke limited English. He was very cautious and conscientious, and when the wool was loaded, strapped and tarped, it looked as neat as could be. The second truck driver was from Denver, but spoke fluent Spanish, which was very helpful with our Spanish-speaking employees who were loading the truck. He even helped load the bales of wool, which weigh 400-500 pounds each. The wool was secured and headed for San Antonio. Our fine Rambouillet wool is usually sold to another buyer who uses it for U.S. military uniforms. We think this fine wool will end up in mills in Italy. The blackface wool goes on to become blankets and sweaters. The shed looks empty without three years worth of wool bales stacked up.

Aaron with hayhooks

Juan with skidsteer, Aaron ready to load

Juan, skidsteer and bale of wool

emptying the shed

Loading the trailer

Lalo making sure the bales are in the right place (33 on each layer, fewer on the top)

bringing up the tarp

Lalo tarping the wool bales

securing the tarps

ready to roll

 
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Posted by on August 1, 2022 in Events, Folks

 

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Derecho

 

And they call the wind

Derecho–intense, wide-spread

fast-moving windstorms

 


 
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Posted by on June 6, 2020 in Events, Nature and Wildlife, Poetry

 

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The last of the lambs to the feedlot

early morning truck ready to load

up to the chute

the last lambs waiting in the corral

Meghan on the job

Oscar, Edgar and Pepe bringing up the lambs

guard dog and horses supervising

Pepe

 

 

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The dwindling dinner party

unloading the corn

 

Every year we buy several loads of corn to feed to the ewes on the desert. We will put the rams in with the ewes in a couple of days, and it is important that their nutrition is optimal. Nothing is better than corn for flushing the ewes. In late November, we had the first load of corn delivered. Now, in almost mid-December, that load is almost gone, but the ewes have found it very tasty and nutritious.

LOTS of corn!

two weeks later…

 
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Posted by on December 13, 2017 in Events, Folks, Folks who help us out

 

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Minnesota Bound

Thinking about lower country

Thinking about lower country

Every fall, we have what we call “the good old ewes.”  These ewes are still sound, but aren’t quite up for another winter on the Red Desert. They are Minnesota bound. Sheep producers around Pipestone can offer them a comfier life at a lower altitude, with more shelter. They will be able to produce lambs and wool for several more years.

Pepe, Edgar and Raylor bringing up the ewes

Pepe, Edgar and Taylor bringing up the ewes

Meghan at the cutting gate

Meghan at the cutting gate

Ned, the brand inspector, and the trucker, loading.

Ned, the brand inspector, and the trucker, loading.

Now underemployed Guard Dog

Now underemployed Guard Dog

Meghan and Ned

Meghan and Ned

Ready to roll

Ready to roll

 

 

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Shipping days

bringing in cows and calves

Bringing in the cows and calves

 

It’s that time of year when the long days of summer have come to an end. Since early summer, the cows and calves, and the ewes and lambs, have grazed the Forest. Their only responsibilities have been to gain weight and avoid predators. The cows have had the added task of consorting with bulls and getting pregnant.

Those days are gone, and it is now time for the calves and lambs to leave their mothers and move on to the next stage of life. The nights are noisy as the cows and ewes call for their departed offspring. The older moms probably give a sigh of relief as their mothering duties have been fulfilled for another turn of the seasons.

Cows and calves in the Lower Meadow

Cows and calves in the Lower Meadow

Chad bringing up the cattle

Chad bringing up the cattle

Eamon sorting the calves

Eamon sorting the calves

"Heifer!" "Steer!"

“Heifer!” “Steer!”

Ewes in the corral

Ewes in the corral

Meghan and Oscar putting the lambs in the corral

Meghan and Oscar putting the lambs in the corral

Eduardo and Adolfo bringing up the lambs

Eduardo and Adolfo bringing up the lambs

Oscar at the cutting gate

Oscar at the cutting gate

This is how we roll

This is how we roll

 

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Photo Op

Our Peruvian employees took photos with the wool truck and the truck driver

Our Peruvian employees took photos with the wool truck and the truck driver

 
 

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Loading wool

Filo, trucker, Antonio, Pepe and Jenri with the loaded wool truck

Filo, trucker, Antonio, Pepe and Jenri with the loaded wool truck

After all our adventures with shearing (and we still have a few ewes to shear and lambs to dock!), we loaded the first load of wool today. Most of it is bound for the U.S. military. Here is our intrepid loading crew, including the Utah trucker who came to haul it. One more load to go!

The trucker said his Dad helped him buy this semi after he returned from eight years in the Marine Corps--three tours in Iraq and one in Afganistan.

The trucker said his Dad helped him buy this semi after he returned from eight years in the Marine Corps–three tours in Iraq and one in Afganistan.

 

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Ghost cows

ghost cows...or maybe it's out of focus--one or the other

ghost cows…or maybe it’s out of focus–                   one or the other

 

 

 

The last truckloads of cows came in from Laramie last night. Due to mechanical problems, we ended up unloading after dark. I tried to take pictures without a tripod. The results were spooky, or maybe artistic.

night lights

night lights

 
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Posted by on March 13, 2015 in Animals, Cattle

 

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Trailing through Three Forks

Sadie and Siobhan keeping the sheep on the road at the Three Forks entrance

Sadie and Siobhan keeping the sheep on the road at the Three Forks entrance

heading for the Routt Forest

heading for the Routt Forest

the end of the day--lost clutch

the end of the day–lost clutch

 
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Posted by on June 28, 2013 in Events, Family, Folks, Sheep

 

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