Category: The Ranch

We took a short trip up towards Harlowton yesterday to see My Darling Wife's father and managed to get some pictures. I will post more later but I'll start by sharing this one I took.<br />n<br />n <a class="block_level" href="http://www.sarpysam.com/archives/1138-Barber-Montana.html#extended">Continue reading "Barber Montana"</a>

The state was out today to perform it's annual inspection of the cattle scale. The inspection is required to sell cattle across it. <br />n<br />nIT FAILED!!!!<br />n<br />nIt is a electronic scale and one of the load cells appears to be out. Any money the insurance saved me on the tractor I will now…

Yesterday morning we went out riding to move some cows around to different water to scatter them around the pastures better. No big deal just some stuff that needed done. By coincidence we rode by some of our yearlings in another pasture and we happened to notice one of them was just coming down with…

The storm clouds I alluded to disappeared today and the skies are blue. I guess a little explanation is in order.<br />n<br />nWe finished the second cutting of hay Sunday which was a good thing. 1500 ton of hay in one year is enough. On Monday I discovered the replacement heifer's water was getting a…

Well, <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/08/03/build/nation/53-madcow.inc">here's</a> some good news to see. Somebody needs to do a better job about getting samples tested though.<br />n<br />nOn a more personal level there are some storm clouds on the horizon here at the ranch but it's too soon to talk about them now. Hopefully all will turn out all right but…

I finally heard what caused the tractor fire and the status of fixing it. The exhaust from the engine is routed down under the cab before it is exhausted from the tractor. Behind the engine, under the cab, the exhaust came apart and the hot engine gases melted the insulation on the electrical wires until…

I sold the calves. I was offered a better price earlier but it's time to sell and the market isn't going to get any better.<br />n<br />n$1.22 per pound for the steers weighing 575 lbs., 8 cent slide both ways, 2% pencil shrink across the ranch scales , bawling off the cows with no pre-conditioning.…

I finally stood up the last of the first cutting hay. <a href="http://www.nowherethoughts.net/pics/haystack07252005.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.nowherethoughts.net/pics/haystack07252005.jpg','popup','width=1220,height=580,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">This stack</a> is all the hay on the Sarpy side. Eighteen thousand little square bales totaling about 720 tons of hay. These fields went 2.5 tons/acre which for dryland alfalfa is fantastic.<br />n<br />nThe fields on the Tullock side only…

Finally finished tying strings around all of the first cutting yesterday. I still have a little stacking to do so it's not in the field but that should be done tomorrow. What little second cutting there is I will start on Monday. There isn't very much so it should go pretty quick.<br />n<br />nAll these…

When you are having trouble with the electrical system of a vehicle and can't figure it out, look at the battery. At eight years old it is more than likely the battery. Taking the 6 year old battery out of your pickup might help but a new battery or two definitely is in order.<br />n<br…