More cattle

 A week ago Friday (April 12) Tammy and I got my new cattle.  I planned on attending the big livestock auction the previous day (Thursday).  Tuesday night I was to call Dan to check if he still planned on visiting his daughter in Seattle or if he would be available to attend the auction with me.  I forgot to call him.  I woke up Thursday morning at 9 am with a start and with the thought the auction was today.  

I called Evan my cattle hauler as he had offered in the past to buy some cattle for me if I needed his help.  Evan also works at the auction.   I reached Evan and he ended up buying five steers for me.  There were a lot of cattle at the auction and it didn't get over until almost 6 pm.

Evan had no cattle loads to the Flathead Valley and it wasn't cost effective to haul only five head here.  So I had Evan haul the cattle to his place when he returned home and Friday morning Tammy and I drove down with my stock trailer to get the cattle.

I learned later that Evan had a number of cattle loads to haul Thursday night and didn't get home until 4 am.


Before we left Daisy did a 'cat scan' as she walked from the back of the trailer to the front of the pickup looking up as she walked underneath.  She then gave everything a clean bill of health.

To get to Evan's place we drove around the east side of Flathead Lake as the road was not as hilly as the road on the west side of the lake.

We had to stop for wild turkeys crossing the road.

Evan lives between Ronan and Hot Springs, Montana.  The road turned to gravel and we were out in the boondocks.  This time Tammy didn't worry once she no longer had cell phone service.

We crossed the Flathead River.

Crossing the bridge over the Flathead River.   As you can tell from the clouding up skies... these two photos are 'on the way' and 'returning from' Evan's place.

More views of the Flathead River.

Interesting clouds.

I am sure my uncles will agree... these fences are worse than my fences.

Tammy and I got to Evan's place at 10 am and loaded the cattle.  Then it was time to go back home.

Mission Mountains

South end of Flathead Lake.

We had no problems driving back home.  In the following photo notice the orange strap at the bottom of the doors.  After I loaded the cattle at Evan's place I noticed sliding door was loose at the bottom.  The way the doors work is they can open 'large' as seen in the photo of the cattle leaving the trailer.  Or the left side of the door can slide to the right over the right side.

Notice the latch is a little over half way up.  That, and the two metal 'hooks' on the top - on which the door slides, are all that holds the door on the door frame.  Nothing on the lower half of the door, and that makes the door a little 'loose' at the bottom.  I know how cattle can push against stuff and I was worried they could fall out of the back of the trailer when I was driving 60+ mph on the highway.  Why I never saw this before in the years I owned the trailer is a mystery.

Now I need to come up with a method to have a more secure door.   I think I can have another latch welded onto the door.

Notice that on the side 'escape' door it has two latches.

The second photo show how messy the cattle made the inside of the trailer during their trip.  I had to wash it out.

The rubber mats drying on the fence.

And last but not least... the new cattle.  It took them a few days to get accustomed to one another.  The new steers are pretty mellow and took to the corral well.  Momma, the heifer and the two steers had a harder time adjusting to the new cattle. The heifer now finally seems to accept the new cattle.  Momma still has a grudge against one or more of the steers.  I think it is harder for Momma as she is no longer the largest cattle and can't easily push the new cattle around.  The new cattle have yellow ear tags.

The cattle also are mellow around me.  The only 'Nervous Nellies' are the two steers I had gotten earlier this Winter. they still run off when I get near them.  It can be a problem with the new steers being comfortable with me.  I found one of the steers in the barn eating hay a few times after I carried hay over to the wooden feeder I am now also using as they are too many cattle to feed out of the barn feeder.  I have to now remember to partially close the barn door while balancing the hay I am carrying to the feeder.


Daisy wasn't sure of what to make of all these extra cattle.  Now she had more cattle to dodge when she crosses the corral to and from the barn.

Tonight, when Tammy came out to get me in the pasture she first stopped at corral to call for Daisy.  The cattle were around the feeder and Tammy said Daisy was so cute in carefully poking her head out of the barn to see Tammy.  Tammy could see the bottom of the barn door move out as Daisy pondered when to make her move.   She carefully slinked out of the barn door and once she turned the corner out of the door Daisy went 'zoom' to cross the corral to reach Tammy.  Once she reached the corral fence and Tammy only then did Daisy look back to see if the cattle were chasing her.  They weren't.