As I've mentioned before, we are in a terrible drought. This means we have no choice but to thin down our cow herd numbers. One way we are doing that is by mouthing, (checking teeth), in our cow herd, at least in the older cows. If they don't have good teeth, then they won't be able to graze well, especially where the feed is more scarce and short.
We catch the cows in the chute, the cowboys look at their teeth. This isn't as easy as it sounds. The cows aren't always very willing to say "cheese".
The cows are loaded into the chute by a cowboy on horse back. This takes a good horse and a skilled and quiet hand.
The cows that, "make the cut" are turned back in to the meadow.
The old girls with no teeth, or poor teeth, are loaded on a truck and will be sold. I know it sounds cruel, but it isn't. It would be worse to see an old cow starving all winter because she doesn't have teeth to eat.
This was last month, and still very hot out, so we always started in the early morning. And of course in the dust.
We have started the next step in thinning the herd. We are preg-checking. The vet comes out and checks every cow to make sure she is pregnant. If not, she too gets sent down the road. It's just the way life is on the ranch.
Stay tuned for pictures of this process.
Stay tuned for pictures of this process.
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