Fourth of July: Working cattle in a Nebraska round-up
Vaccination, castration, implanting and branding are a big job made small with the help of friends, acquaintances and a few hired hands, Andy Doyle reports from the US on the American national day.
The calves were worked in a sand-covered corral. They were held in the left hand side where they were roped by the hind legs and pulled through by the cowboys into the working area on the right side. It took 2-4 men to hold down the strong calves while four others administered the different treatments.
ADVERTISEMENT
If you are working with thousands of acres and more than ten acres to the cow in beef breeding herds, gathering the stock for routine husbandry is a big chore. But it was amazing to see how even the biggest of bulls respond to a good working horse and cowboy during last month's tour of the US with the Irish Tillage and Land Use Society (ITLUS).
When our group visited the ranch of Charlie Molvig near O'Neill in Nebraska, we happened on a bunch of over 20 people working about 350 three- to four-month-old calves. But the combined jobs of branding, vaccination, implantation and castration took less than 2.5 hours.
While its takes a lot of bodies, it seemed that the task is more like a grain threshing of the past. All of those on horseback were either neighbours or acquaintances. They were not farmhands and most were not even farmers. Some drove over five hours for the opportunity to practice their roping skills.
The handlers on the ground who held the cattle were mainly students from the university wrestling club who could hone their skills and muscles for a few dollars' reward. Those administering the different treatments were long passed the student phase, though.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to the site until next Wednesday at 9pm.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact support.
If you are working with thousands of acres and more than ten acres to the cow in beef breeding herds, gathering the stock for routine husbandry is a big chore. But it was amazing to see how even the biggest of bulls respond to a good working horse and cowboy during last month's tour of the US with the Irish Tillage and Land Use Society (ITLUS).
When our group visited the ranch of Charlie Molvig near O'Neill in Nebraska, we happened on a bunch of over 20 people working about 350 three- to four-month-old calves. But the combined jobs of branding, vaccination, implantation and castration took less than 2.5 hours.
While its takes a lot of bodies, it seemed that the task is more like a grain threshing of the past. All of those on horseback were either neighbours or acquaintances. They were not farmhands and most were not even farmers. Some drove over five hours for the opportunity to practice their roping skills.
The handlers on the ground who held the cattle were mainly students from the university wrestling club who could hone their skills and muscles for a few dollars' reward. Those administering the different treatments were long passed the student phase, though.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525.
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address. Please click on the link in this email to reset your password. If you can't find it in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you can't find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
ENTER YOUR LOYALTY CODE:
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
SHARING OPTIONS