Back to my cowgirl roots!

So...I went to Idaho Falls for Memorial Day weekend. Travis couldn't go, but Russ and I went. And it is a good thing that I did because my poor dad really needed help on the ranch. We had a lot of brandin' to do.

Here is a little branding tutorial for all you city folk:






First you chase a group of calves into a small pen. Once they are locked in, you find a few good ones to separate from the group. You gotta do whatever it takes to get them to go into the chute, and believe me, they do not want to go! It is hard work. Sometimes you can just chase them in, but sometimes you have to pin them up against the fence with your hip and grab their tail with one hand and ears with the other and force them to go in. But watch out! They kick!! Very hard!!
One kicked my right in the stomach. And my nephew's shin got a good thump too.






Once they are in the chute, you have to push your hip into them so that they don't back out. It is better to be right up against their rear because it doesn't hurt as bad when they kick as it does when you are a foot or two away. This part can be gross because sometimes they go to the bathroom when you are pushing them forward. Ewwwww!





This is me trying to pass my time-tested techniques on to my nephew, Tyson.






Sometimes they get turned around. Then you have to either let them out and try again or figure out a way to flip them over in a 1 foot wide space (which can be very difficult).

Then my sister-in-law, Lexy, opens the gate to let the calf into the "machine." (I can't remember what it is really called.) Now I have to go back for more calves.

Once they are inside, the machine is cranked shut, and the calf is flipped over on his side. My dad is getting ready to vaccinate it.

My brother, Logan ropes the calf's leg and yanks it back so that he can't thrash. You can't really see it very well from this picture. He is in the striped shirt.

Then my brother, Darin, brands the calf. It moos a lot, but it's okay. When it is over, the calf is released and it trots out of the machine and back to its mother. My brother, Beau, is there too, and he has some job, but I can't remember what it is.

Russell came over to watch and was really put out when he got a little dried dirt/manure in his sandal. I think that he just made it worse when he plopped down and tried to get it out.

A hard day's work on the ranch!