Preg Checking

A couple of weeks ago I watched a new activity on the ranch, Preg checking. Now preg checking is probably what you imagine when you read the title but I'll explain anyway.

First 400 or more cows are gathered from the pastures. These cows are driven in an old fashion cattle drive into holding pens by the cowboy on horse back. The young man in the picture is Joe, he works along side the cowboys to help herd. He has pretty good poise on that big on horse, I'd say. The gathering can take several hours as the animals graze on about 5,000 acre pastures. Once the cows are in the pens, the real work begins.

The pens are outfitted with alley ways that lead into skinnier alley ways that end up at a cattle chute. A couple of cowboys and / or cowgirls parse out a few cows at a time and head them into the alley. As the alley gets tighter the cows are forced to for a single file row of mooing varments.

Along the way, helpers encourage the cows to move closer and closer to the squeeze chute. The "squeeze" chute is the end of the line and where all the action occurs. There awaits the vet. Now the vet has the task of preg checking as he examines the cow to see if a calf is in the womb. He seems methodical and professional as he completes each examination. Upon completion, he instructs assistants to mark the cow, bred or open, provides any necessary medication and the frees the cow from the chute. The chute opens and the bred cows go into one pen and the un-bred cows go another. The open cows may end up at the market, I'm not sure. The bred cows will be moved into fields where their diet and their general health will be monitored as everyone waits the eventual birth of the spring calf.

Quite interesting if you ask me. There is more to ranching than I ever knew.

Until next time...Jane