One Hot Weekend

This weekend was branding weekend, we went to our friends on Saturday, and helped brand his 300 calves, and then the next day, he returned the favor and helped us with our 200 calves.

This, as you see, is not a job for just a few people.

For those who have never been to a branding, there is alot to do prior to the branding - getting vaccines, getting the calves, getting the beer.


There are several jobs that have to be done, bringing the cows and calves in, splitting them up, roping them, wrestling them down, branding, vaccinating, implanting and cutting the bull calves.

All ages are involved, from carrying the nugget pail, to roping, to keeping the branding irons hot.

We managed to do roughly 60 calves per hour - even with a few minor wrecks, including a rope under a horses tail that caused a little bucking episode (sorry no picture at that time, we were getting out of the road).

In our outfit, all of our neices and nephews help - thank God Chris's sisters are fertile, they have given us a great crew.

There were three ropers, in the back ground is our friend Roger, and our nephews are in the foreground. They didn't let us stand around with nothing to do all day.

Even my neice Hanna got into it- prairie oysters have to be cleaned, and she was quite willing to do it. Branding is not complete unless the oysters are served. I am not sure what Chef Ramsay would say about this delicacy.

After all was over, there are sore body parts, and a good soak in the bathtub will help get the grime out. The dogs usually find a good mud puddle or stock tank to jump in. However, Anne thought that fresh calf excrement was the icing on the cake - and it did have the color of lemon icing-too bad it didn't smell that way as well.