Two pairs gone

I had planned in August on selling the two cow/calf pairs that were replaced last year by the replacement heifers.  After hearing about how one rancher in the Valley sold his around 100 yearling calves this year by an ad instead of the livestock auction as usual, I thought I would place a craigslist ad and see if anyone wanted cow/calf pairs now.

Yes, people did.

The guy I sold them to came and got them this afternoon.  These two pair had been in the fruit tree area with Speckles and Maria.  Donna came by to help me sort these two pairs from Speckles and Maria and get them into the loading corral before the stock trailer arrived.  This guy's trailer is a little different than mine and a touch lower.  So he couldn't quite get to the loading corral head gate. He was a foot or so short.  He and his son stood on each side of the head gate and trailer so the cows or calves wouldn't think of trying to squeeze through that small opening instead of entering the trailer.  I moved the cows and calves up the loading ramp and to the trailer.  They didn't want to go to the end and to the trailer as they saw these two strangers standing there.  So I had to repeatedly convince the cows to go into the trailer.  After a few go arounds where the cattle would back up or turn around I got one cow to go into the trailer.  Then it was easier to convince the other cattle to go into the trailer also.

So I am back down to the amount of cattle that I think is appropriate for the ranch.  It is nicer to be at this level now than waiting till August.

One of Speckles calves liked the other calves.  She was missing her buddies as they were in the loading corral waiting for the stock trailer to arrive.

"Where are my buddies?"

Speckles, her sister, and Maria were all on the other side of the fruit tree area.