Going to cattle auction

Today I hauled most of my calves to the cattle auction in Missoula.  The auction will be held tomorrow.  Cattle prices have been really dropping every week since the beginning of September - and I thought the prices were low to begin with.  I and other cattle sellers are going to get hammered this Fall as we sell our cattle.   I'll see once my cattle sell tomorrow, but I may have little to no profit this year.

Last night Dan and his son came over and picked out four steers they wanted to buy.  So those calves were left in the corral until Dan and his son pick them up next week.

That left nine calves to go into my stock trailer.  They filled the trailer.  It looked like there was room for only one more calf.  My plan if Dan and his son didn't buy any calves was to raise three steers over Winter and sell them in the Spring.

The calves are so calm and well trained they easily followed me - and my bag of apples - into the loading corral this morning.  Donna then came and helped me sort out of the loading corral the four steers Dan and his son want.

On the to-do list for next year is to build a small area just outside of the head gate.  Since the head gate's doors swing outward there is a few feet between the head gate and the back trailer door.  The head gate is about the height of the trailer's floor.   I used to have dirt piled and packed up on each side of the had gate.  The dirt ramp still exists on the inside of the head gate but on the outside the cattle over the years wore it down.  Therefore, after the calves step through the head gate they step down a down a little bit before they step up into the trailer.  As cattle are hesitant enough to go into a stock trailer anything that makes it harder for them makes it harder for me.  And with the step down I can't rush the calves as I don't want to chance one breaking a leg.

We took it slow and the cattle slowly one by one stepped into the trailer.  Some calves stepped up into the trailer quicker than other calves.

Donna and I had the cattle sorted and loaded in 45 minutes or less. We just finished up when Dan came over to help.  Donna and I were on the road shortly after 9:15 am.  As we drove out of the ranch we noticed Buddy way out in the pasture standing tall with his head way up as he was intently watching us.  He knew we were taking some of his kids away.

I have the same number of calves - nine - as last year but the trailer seemed heavier on the drive to the auction. With my under-powered pickup I could hardly drive more than 55 mph unless I was driving downhill.  Once the trailer was unloaded the weight was back to what I remembered from last year.  On the drive back I was able to get up to 65 mph.

The morning was drizzly to a light rain for the first half of the trip.  We saw breaks of sun by the time we reached Missoula and the auction before noon.  Going the day before the auction usually means no lines to unload ones cattle and the previous trailer had just finished unloading when we arrived.

When we unloaded the calves Clyde kept trying to get back into the trailer.  Usually cattle can't wait to get out of a stock trailer.  But Clyde is smarter than the average calf; he wanted in the trailer and wanted to go back home with us.  He would climb back into the trailer against the tide of the other calves coming out of the trailer.  It took several tries before we got him out of the trailer long enough to close the trailer door.

Then it was back home. Donna and I stopped at the Thai restaurant in Polson, MT.  Their small parking lot was filled with vehicles with little room for a truck pulling a trailer so I had to park in an empty lot next to the restaurant.

We drove on the east side of Flathead Lake as it has less traffic, a slower speed limit and less hills.  We saw the cutest little black bear on the side of the road waiting to cross as we drove.  As we approached the bear headed back down into the ditch.

I was home by 3 pm. Once I got home I opened all of the internal corral gates for the remaining four calves to roam.  One calf walked around and called out. Apparently one of his best buds was among the calves who left.  The energy level here at the ranch sure has changed since the nine calves have left.  The level seems quiet to a low energy now.  Even though I still have cattle the ranch feels a little empty now.  I'm going to miss them little calves.

Then I had the long and dirty job of washing out the manure from the stock trailer.

Waiting to be loaded into the stock trailer.

Waiting to be loaded into the stock trailer.

Loaded into the stock trailer.  Clyde (red calf) looking at me.

Wet drive along Flathead Lake.

Dirty stock trailer.