Roxor on the Cattle Farm

[bordercollie]

We worked cows today and had to move a few with the trailer so the Roxor and it's heavy duty bumper was put to work blocking the chute and trailer door. It made an impressive reinforcement to guide the cows straight in and left no options to a possible troublemaker but to go straight ahead. I was sure glad because we did have one silly one that hesitated on getting on the trailer. I was on the other side - holding open the headgate - and being ready to close the trailer gate asap. Dixie was in her seat watching and ready to help. bordercollie

 

[bordercollie]

A Close One

I don't have a picture of it but this morning I slowly drove one front wheel into a very deep wash as I was looking at the electric fence. . (again) . I teetered there with the left rear bobbing up and down. it was hair raising for sure. I thought to myself " Oh Lord, I've done it now" half expecting to slow roll the Roxor. It was approaching 100 degrees and so hot I was about sick from that ...but my prayers were answered as those mud grips gave me what I needed to get out. 4L , a little more of the teetering and once ground contact was momentarily made, I was out. Dixie was glad too because it would be a long walk in that sun to get home otherwise. collie

 

[bordercollie]

A Close One

I did it again............ this time I was sideways with the passenger side tilted and touching the side of the ditch. I thought for sure that the step would be torn off but when I got out, it was still there . . All tires were touching earth but so was the belly of the machine and the bumpers edges. I had put it in 4 L just before I slid sideways into the ditch(overgrown with weeds) and thankfully had left Dixie home because I was riding shotgun looking for calves . This ditch was an overflow form a pond so the Spring floods had made it really deep and jagged.
I backed up and hit a steep high place so was blocked go forward a deeper place.. Called my sis driving the feedwagon near me. She got the tractor/feedwagon in position so that I wouldn't be pulled crooked and fall completely on the side- then I hooked the chain to my hitch and the feedwagon frame, Put in reverse 4L 1st gear and slowly climbed right out. Ya'll know me .. I said a big prayer for assistance and it was granted. Sis and I were ecstatic.. because it did look pretty bad .. but no damage was done.. It was a real blessing for sure .
I only have an afterward picture because I was pretty sick seeing the side of the jeepster laying into the side of the ditch to the top rail /past the fuel port. Not even a broken tail light though. > Miracles- big and small happen every day. collie

 

[bordercollie]

Calving Time is Here

It's calving time on the farm. With the registered herd, we weigh everything so the scale is hooked during this time.
I had to get used to the new height of the rear hitch mounted receiver load bar. It was a lot lower on the RTV's front hitch- so low that the calves feet would sometimes touch the ground . I added a diagonal chain from the grill guard to the load bar to help with that though. Sure don't need it on the Roxor . I need longer legs now . collie

 

[bordercollie]

Calving Time on a Sunny Day

Took a moment to enjoy the sun today. It's supposed to be bad tomorrow though.

 

[bordercollie]

Almost done with the calf scale !! It should be coming off within 2 weeks. I'll sure be glad because it makes backing up and turning around in tight spaces a bit harder. Plus the darn thing is about too tall for short old me.. I only have half of the calf when we put him/her on but still it sure needs to be shortened by about 4 inches. It does look short enough in that last picture but the top of the holding bracket is about the height of my elbows.. maybe next year. collie

The Roxor turned over to 1000 miles today !

 

[bordercollie]

Tada... and the scale came off yesterday We tagged the last 4 calves the day before and now all are done. Backing up and turning will be much easer now and I can also open the tailgate with no scale in the way.. and the ball hitch is back in the receiver !!!! Yaaaay !! Dixie is pretty happy too . bordercollie

 

[bordercollie]

Bad weather on the farm

Lots of bad weather the past few months. Flooding - more water that I've seen in a long while . Its not only hard on the cows but on the trees as well. Given high winds and the water soaked soils just can't hold onto the roots of big trees, so over they go.
I'm posting a couple of pictures that resulted from a storm last night starting about 2 am and lasting about 30 minutes + or minus Wind and heavy heavy rain . It hailed some too. We had some trees down and 5 power poles snapped off about 1/3 of the way up. no trees hit them but they sure broke off. They are broken off all the way to the top of the hill in the the picture. Thats some of my electric fence visible there too. This is the same area that was flash flooded last year and the entire road was covered with water.
The rain from the flooding this week is pouring over a barbed wire ditch with flood debris piled against it in the other picture. This gap has been there for over 30 years. Very strange weather the past couple of years.. Ya'll be safe and prepared for anything hitting the fan. Our generator is on still.

 

[bordercollie]

Moving the Registered Bulls

It's almost time to sell our registered bulls. Here they go across the road to the barn. They don't know it but the vet is coming to test them this day.
Dixie is seated and hoping one will get out of line so she can boss him.

 

[bordercollie]

The bull sale went well. First time ever to have it online (because of the corona virus situation ) The low birth weight bulls with good docility did especially well. For non techies, the low birth weight bulls tend to produce a birth weight as in smaller calves of less than 80 lbs so they re good for 1st calf heifers. They grow out about the same.
I was out working on the fence in a remote area on the farm and just had a God Wink moment. The scenery was great and I could hear the woodpecker's intermittent pounding of a hollow tree somewhere along the creek. There were also choruses of frogs and crickets and then the mingling of songbirds singing their little hearts out. Truly a wonderful and peaceful day. bordercollie

 

[Doc]

Thanks for sharing, and the explanation of the low birth weight bulls. Interesting. Congrats on the God wink moments. I had one two. Saw a woodpecker. He flew across in front of me, low but FAST. Beautiful out today in my neck of the woods.

 

[bczoom]

Damn woodpeckers. Pretty to look at but suck when you have a cedar sided house like I do.

 

[bordercollie]

I can't help it Zoom, I love just those things. Memories of my youth I guess - fishing with my grandma and folks when I was little... . Just add the woop woop of couple of bull frogs and I'm in memory heaven. Also, I've seen them on the ground eating termite larvae from old logs which also endears them to me.

 

[bordercollie]

Moving Cattle Around.

Well, this Roxor can sure spin out. The cows were really disappointed when I could cut them off and make them move as I planned and not as they had . They were used to me being a bit slower I guess. Well, I make sure Dixie the border collie had her "belt " on and we took off- it was just too much maneuvering to take pictures ( without a go pro which I don't have anyways ) . I was able to get a few pictures after they were resigned to following orders of the " Blue Flame" Pictures are of our registered bulls being moved across the road and getting ready to be sold in late April,
slowly driving them to the barn (think I've already posted this picture?) Roxor and the old loading ramp positioning for selling the commercial calves in June, and the 1st calf hfrs following the Roxor to the barn this week. They like the Roxor evidently because they would follow it and when it paused, they will munch on grass , when it started beeping and moving , here they came. Good experience.

 

[bordercollie]

It's calving season 2020... And 4 sets of twins already !! We are about half through and hope for no more twins. Some mama cows have a hard time taking complete care of 2.
. We put one set of twins in with a dairy cow and her calf. Their mama and the dairy cow's calf are all making merry, all 3 calves are having a musical chair type game at suppertime. The other twins are also at the barn (under our watchful eyes) and with their own mamas until our other dairy cows calve. Then it will be milkshakes all the way around.

 

[bordercollie]

picture of calves