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First branding of the year

sandhiller

sandhiller

Just sloggin' through life
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 30, 2008
380
2,051
64
Nebraska
#1
Around 900 head

But what's important is the number of kids.
Boys and girls.
Having fun working alongside Mom and Dad.

The bullshit of the world is far removed.

This IMHO is the America I love and would die for.

And if it is new to you, I hope you enjoy seeing something different.

I didn't have time to take a lot of pics because I was busy cutting but here are a few.

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#2
Oh man. Brings back some memories. That is old school too draggin em to the fire. I have done a few of those, I always ended up doing whatever I could to try and be helpful and stay out of the way while the real cowboys did their thing. I found I was much more suited to runnin through the chute. Good time of year to be doin it too, too late into May and the calves got a little hefty for my liking!
 
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#6
Sean the Nailer said:
talk about memories. Far too many decades ago, I helped out at the ranch as a kid. There's an education there, that most don't learn today.
Click to expand...
Memories for me also. Worked a couple of spring/falls at a cattle ranch in eastern Oregon. Was 14 and 15 years of age. Mac
 
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#11
Rthur said:
We only did 80-100 a year.
Everything but the brand.
Still miss the round up.
Nut crimping, not so much.

R
Click to expand...
Never tried crimping (burdizzo? used on horses though) but a few tried banding with sort of good success but I hated using the banding tool. Hard on hands and fingers

Much prefer to slit the bag with a knife, pull out the nuts till the cords turn white (seals off blood flow) then finish cutting the cords off.

Very little blood and you know the nuts are out and steer has been made. Quick and easy.

Of all we did, only had one bull calf that a nut did not drop and I had to make a small incision in the belly and take it out there. It was his registered stock, so really did not want a one nutted calf running around in that bunch.

cutting knife.jpg
 
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#13
wvfarrier said:
I really miss brandings. I still train all my horses for it but here in WV no one does it out in the open. Everyone ear tags or runs them into shoots.
Click to expand...
We started doing shoots & tags in Indiana back in the mid 60's, I liked the branding times much better. However the later was easier on us and the herd.
 
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#15
Oh I damn sure run mine into the chute and head gate to brand. Often times it is just me, or my wife and I. A fella has to either have a lot of help, or a chute and head gate.

I also only brand my keepers or ones that I sell as replacements. Cuts down on a lot of the hassle when I don't have to brand any that are going private treaty to a stocker, or to the stockyards directly.
 
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#16
@wvfarrier and @Gunfighter14e2

I think you guys are talking about what I call a calf cradle or calf table?

A small calf sized and lightweight squeeze chute

Run the calf in, catch him, squeeze him and tip the table on it's side and work the calf at waist level.

We do have some that have gone that way out here also.
 
#17
diggler1833 said:
Oh I damn sure run mine into the chute and head gate to brand. Often times it is just me, or my wife and I. A fella has to either have a lot of help, or a chute and head gate.

I also only brand my keepers or ones that I sell as replacements. Cuts down on a lot of the hassle when I don't have to brand any that are going private treaty to a stocker, or to the stockyards directly.
Click to expand...
I live in a brand inspection area here so it is required everything gets a hot brand
 
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#18
sandhiller said:
@wvfarrier and @Gunfighter14e2

I think you guys are talking about what I call a calf cradle or calf table?

A small calf sized and lightweight squeeze chute

Run the calf in, catch him, squeeze him and tip the table on it's side and work the calf at waist level.

We do have some that have gone that way out here also.
Click to expand...
You are correct. For years prior the first drops (new cows) we would wait until the we seen the calf sucked once, and if a Bull throw it in the 4 wheel wagon and place the rubber band on, then turn them both out with the others. Once, mom decided to get into the wagon with us, man she was mad, we promptly added higher sides to the wagon. Those were fun days. Had another bust the cast iron radiator protector or a 1948 Case DC with her head, because she wanted her calf back. That same cow eat an 06 rd the next year, she went off the deep end again and the great uncle said that's it she goes in the freezer, and she did. Every once in a while we'd have one go off the deep end like that, but we always had plenty of freezer space to fill up so it was never a huge loss.
 
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#21
sandhiller said:
Never tried crimping (burdizzo? used on horses though) but a few tried banding with sort of good success but I hated using the banding tool. Hard on hands and fingers

Much prefer to slit the bag with a knife, pull out the nuts till the cords turn white (seals off blood flow) then finish cutting the cords off.

Very little blood and you know the nuts are out and steer has been made. Quick and easy.

Of all we did, only had one bull calf that a nut did not drop and I had to make a small incision in the belly and take it out there. It was his registered stock, so really did not want a one nutted calf running around in that bunch.

View attachment 8395793
Click to expand...
Crimping was my euphemism for clamps.
Head gate pipes and a tail puller.

R
 
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#23
Brings back wonderful memories of working on the UU Bar in Cimarron. Did it old school just like in the pictures and would brand, castrate, ear mark and and vaccinate 400-500 calves at a time. One year we branded close to 3,000 head. Up at 4:00 am feed, groom and saddle the horses getting them ready to trailer or ride them for wherever we working that day. Be done around noon and the wives would prepare "dinner" for all hands at one of the line camps and can still taste the peach cobbler for dessert. Hard work but I thank the good Lord that I was able to experience it.
 
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#24
Short-bus said:
Never done anything like that, let alone had the opportunity. Only ever seen 'em online, or read about 'em. Wish I could attend one and be useful while there. Would love an invite for a future one if there's an opportunity.

Branden
Click to expand...
I have another one, around 600 head this coming Friday.
I have one, around 200 head towards the end of the month
PM me if interested
Not sure if anyone on here is closer to you, looks like you are about 670 miles from me
 
#25
ZiaHunter said:
Brings back wonderful memories of working on the UU Bar in Cimarron. Did it old school just like in the pictures and would brand, castrate, ear mark and and vaccinate 400-500 calves at a time. One year we branded close to 3,000 head. Up at 4:00 am feed, groom and saddle the horses getting them ready to trailer or ride them for wherever we working that day. Be done around noon and the wives would prepare "dinner" for all hands at one of the line camps and can still taste the peach cobbler for dessert. Hard work but I thank the good Lord that I was able to experience it.
Click to expand...
Nothing better than a branding dinner and a few cold ones.

Them women really go all out and make sure we eat damn good!
 
#26
As young kids, we used to go into the calf pens and simply grab-hold of a hind-leg and pull them calves out backwards towards the crew. That is one of the things that I remember most.

Second to that, would be my grandpa thrownin' a rope. Back during his prime, when he was rodeo'ing, he was a champion "Steer Decorator". He got a Remington trophy for that, before the sport was banned for 'too violent'.

The room full of ribbons and trophy's that he had, and the memories of mine and my cousins,,,, (who still run that Ranch to this day...) oh man!
 
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#29
Sean the Nailer said:
As young kids, we used to go into the calf pens and simply grab-hold of a hind-leg and pull them calves out backwards towards the crew. That is one of the things that I remember most.

Second to that, would be my grandpa thrownin' a rope. Back during his prime, when he was rodeo'ing, he was a champion "Steer Decorator". He got a Remington trophy for that, before the sport was banned for 'too violent'.

The room full of ribbons and trophy's that he had, and the memories of mine and my cousins,,,, (who still run that Ranch to this day...) oh man!
Click to expand...
"Steer Decorating", would that be the same as Steer Roping or Steer Tripping?
One man ropes a steer by the horns, flips the rope under his back end, rides by off at an angle, spinning the steer around and putting him on the ground, he then jumps off and while the horse keeps the steer down he ties three legs.

They still have "trippins" here although not a part of a rodeo like they used to be.
Have kind of had to go underground since the animal rights people jumped their shit.

The timing and talent of the roper and the strength, agility and smarts of the horse make that one my favorite events to watch.
 
#30
sandhiller said:
"Steer Decorating", would that be the same as Steer Roping or Steer Tripping?
One man ropes a steer by the horns, flips the rope under his back end, rides by off at an angle, spinning the steer around and putting him on the ground, he then jumps off and while the horse keeps the steer down he ties three legs.

They still have "trippins" here although not a part of a rodeo like they used to be.
Have kind of had to go underground since the animal rights people jumped their shit.

The timing and talent of the roper and the strength, agility and smarts of the horse make that one my favorite events to watch.
Click to expand...
My grandfather won the Figure 8 loop ropings several years in a row in Jordan Valley back in the 50s. He could throw some insanely complex loops. I know a lot of them but am so out of practice it would take me a year to catch up.
 
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#31
wvfarrier said:
My grandfather won the Figure 8 loop ropings several years in a row in Jordan Valley back in the 50s. He could throw some insanely complex loops. I know a lot of them but am so out of practice it would take me a year to catch up.
Click to expand...
I'd never heard of that but very cool!

Some of them ol boys were a real artist with a rope

They had plenty of time to practice, more time in the saddle than today.

Wish I could go back to those simpler times even if they were tougher.
 
#32
sandhiller said:
"Steer Decorating", would that be the same as Steer Roping or Steer Tripping?
One man ropes a steer by the horns, flips the rope under his back end, rides by off at an angle, spinning the steer around and putting him on the ground, he then jumps off and while the horse keeps the steer down he ties three legs.

They still have "trippins" here although not a part of a rodeo like they used to be.
Have kind of had to go underground since the animal rights people jumped their shit.

The timing and talent of the roper and the strength, agility and smarts of the horse make that one my favorite events to watch.
Click to expand...
Nossir.
I can't remember the specifics at the moment, except that he'd have a ribbon on an elastic band, on one of his fingers. He'd leave his horse and wrestle a steer to the ground. While another roper was holding tension on the steer's hind legs, he'd climb aboard the steer and loop that elastic onto one of the horns. It'd have to be slid down to the base, near the skull.

If the ribbon don't stay, you don't count. (them horns are tapered)
 
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