To the Auction We Go

   Tuesday was the big day!  We usually take our calves to the stock barn to sell twice a year.  We take  calves that are  between 7 and 8 months old.  The fun part about all of this is getting the cattle moved from the field to the barn to be loaded into the trailer.   We knew this was going to be a time consuming operation so in true family farm fashion the whole family, except for my mother who was cleaning the kitchen, came out and helped.  I unloaded the trailer and  turned off the fan and the radio that I leave on for the show cattle to enjoy. I didn't want the young calves to be stressed by the noise.  My pop backed the trailer to the barn and we were ready to rock and roll!   Dad, Ashton (my 15 year old sister), Pop and I all walked to the field.  Actually, Pop drove the 4-wheeler.  The calves are used to Pop and his 4 wheeler because he drives it to the field twice a day to check the cows.   If there is one thing I've learned over the years, it is that my Pop has a special bond with his cows.  They've known him and his 4-wheeler all their lives!  Once in the field we got our game plan together!  There were two sets of cattle:  1. the ones on the hill and 2.  the ones on the lower side.   When moving cattle, you have to remember that they have their own minds.  It is important to move slowly because if you get them too excited then they will start moving in all directions.  We got all the cows moving in the right direction and then Pop came along on his 4-wheeler and said, "Get up, go to the barn" and they went!!!  Dad, Ashton, and I watched the fence so no little calves ran underneath it.  Our fence is unusually high because we usually get the hay tetter stuck in the wire!  As Pop drove them to the barn we made sure none got outside the lane we were driving them in.  The final turn to head up to the barn, "THE LANE", was the hardest part.  The fencing is not great in THE LANE.  We should do some work on it, but I have grown accustomed to it so it probably will stay the same. Dad kept them going up to the barn in THE LANE slowly but surely making sure to not force them so none got away.  One little bull calf managed to escape, but luckily we didn't need him today!   Once in the barn, the fun began!  Besides getting the calves for the sale separated,  we had to band three calves and sort five heifers out.  The first thing we did was band the youngest. He had manure on his back, right where I had to hold him.  That was gross.  We then sorted some more cows out of the barn and banded the cutest little bull! It was one of my old show heifer's second calf.  I want to hopefully show this white legged steer when he gets around six months old.   The third calf that we were supposed to band was as fast as lightening.  It became interesting fast as we tried to catch him.    We try to run a low-stress operation so this was going to be difficult! He wasn't the last to test our patience however!  It took us around ten minutes to catch this bad boy, it then took three to band and hold him!  We got him done and let him go slowly so he wouldn't get away too fast and get hurt.
  Cattle are herd animals and feel better in numbers so we try to keep at least one cow with the calves until we no longer can.  It was time to finally start cutting the three cows out of the calves so we could get down to sorting the replacements and sale calves out.  We sorted those five out into the barn and put the sale calves into the pen waiting on the trailer.  I went to get water for the replacements and one heifer decided to run me over.  I was being stupid and not paying attention so it was partly my fault.   She lunged back on her hind legs, ready to run me over.  She was blowing snot and shaking her head.   I ran for the hay manger a little late, because I am over confident sometimes.  I got away...this time. I was shaking and everyone was laughing and saying they've never seen me move so fast and why didn't we have the camera running.   We still had to get water for them but the heifer was still fuming.  We guessed she was probably just scared.  We ignored her and didn't try to provoke her in any way, but we had to get the water and this time it was dads turn.  The afternoon turned into our own version of a rodeo as I watched my dad jump from the barn floor to the fence and hover there just holding himself  up by his hands.   So, what is the moral of this story?  Be careful around cattle!!!!!   Cattle have individual personalities and sometimes they don't behave the way you think they should.  Good management practices and knowing how to move cattle will alleviate much of their stress.  I have attached a helpful link from Colorado State, by Temple Grandin, about handling Cattle.
Here it is!