Some slight showers and some heat. Triggering a “pause paddock” is best done after the heart of the growing season, and is done to address travel needs, vacation time, or just getting a rest from moving often. Some benefits allowed great pressure (especially thistle) on over-rested riparian area in WG7 (see photos).
General status update: the year might be best described by 4 unexpected happenings-voles, short-eared owls, grasshoppers, and sweet clover. And, of course, and possibly the driver for these happenings-two above average moisture years, and thus, deep soil moisture, and two cold snowy winter that led to more feeding, and more old feed being left on many paddocks. As we near the end of the second cycle of breeding (9.5), cows remain in excellent condition. Water delivery to tanks has been surprisingly steady and reliable-so far best year ever.
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Nothing special for weather. In the afternoon cows moved into expanded paddock, as Dana and I leave for California on the 16th to participate in 3 CNB in-stores. Expanded paddock includes all of WG7 and SG6)-the “Pause paddock”.
Cows stay in east end of WG4 and 5. I committed good part of 14th and 15th for a ranch tour and meeting with a broad group of agency and NGO partners.
Trending warmer, but forecast calls for cooler and moister weather the remainder of August. Finally trailed cows south through County Road Paddock into new paddock (east portion of WG paddocks 4 and 5. Big Tour will be arriving tomorrow. I worked into evening preparing an expanded paddock for cows, as Dana and I will be going to the Bay Area for CNB in-store work for 4 days.
Heavy storm last night. Tornado warning gratefully did not materialize. Worked cows to attend to ‘suckers’ (nose rings for eight), a few lame cows, some quills in two calves, and another cut on cull cows (5), and two bulls. Good practice for both us and cows.
Light shower last night and continued cooler. Heavy storm came early evening with marble-size hail, but no measurable damage. Heavier hail to the north and south. Cows move into 2nd split in SBW1. Hoppers have worked over most the leaf on clover and alfalfa.
Much cooler. After the very slow push last night to get out of SBW4, the cows followed my call and walked on their own into 1st split in SBW1. Cows are calm and nicely scattered this evening. Amazing the amount of work that one breakout at the wrong time can generate. From the cow perspective-what’s the problem? The feed is great!
Moderating conditions and welcome. Morning spent getting the mob back into the unplanned split on SB4. The late afternoon-evening trail took 4 hours to go ½ mile back into SBW3 and 8. Comparing my effort to pushing molasses uphill would be more than fair assessment of the task.
Hot but some cooling on the way. It’s get worst. While driving home from meeting on Lewistown, cows break south through gate into NG2 (BLM) into another patch of very thick clover. Returning, the dogs and I started to move cows back, but now, a broken wire on the west side of NG2, and the cattle guard filled with dirt, made if difficult to get cows in before nightfall. Hopefully, tomorrow will go better and I can get cows all the way back to fresh paddock near house, and then south to SG.
Hot again. Important CNB call, combined with visiting students in the morning from China, and needing to travel to Helena for a talk, I need to leave cows where they are. How do you make your best effort with compounding factors?
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Bill Milton
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Milton Ranch LLC | Daily Ranch Journal |