A day at the Ranch pic heavy

[Az Rick]

Thought I would post some pics for those interested. I'm the guy with the brown hat, you know it don't show dirt so bad.
Hope you enjoy knowing where that hamburger you ate yesterday came from.

Best, Rick

[RMK79]

Great pictures Rick! Reminds me of my childhood here in NM except with sheep.

[P.K.]

MMMMM.....Beef!

[smokeywolf]

Always wanted the chance to BBQ half of one of those beef critters.

smokeywolf

[x101airborne]

Was that a STARCHED shirt I saw on one guy????

[Love Life]

Nothing says class like starch. I used to starch my wranglers so stiff you could here them peel apart when I put them on. Pictures like that make me miss Texas and the child slave labor my friend's dad put us through.

Thank you for the pictures.

[Az Rick]

RMK, sheep are four legged critters too! South or North N.M.?

x101, being from Victoria, you know your starch when you see it,...er feel it. Cowboys are vain, got to have a certain look and a wife that irons. Myself I just wear those 95% plastic, 5% cotton shirts. I had blood up to the elbows, when I got home I soaked my shirt in cold water and Dawn dish soap. Good as new, wore it to a dance on Friday. I forgot to clean the cowxxxx off my boots though.

Rick

Love Life, how was that starch on horseback?

[RMK79]

Central New Mexico, East of Albuquerque.

[CLAYPOOL]

We were in South Dakota in 2000 Dog Hunting and came over a hill. Down in the vally they were working cattle. We turned around so as to not disturb the cows or help..Much more going on than at my little operation..No branding at my place as me and "Sister" know the girls by name..

[starmac]

Unless they have changed the laws in NM, you can't even take an unbranded calf to have it butchered without a brand on it, much less sel it.

SHEEP, I helped work four bull wagon loads of sheep one day (cut and earmark) That was enough working sheep to last a lifetime as far as I was concerned. lol

[Dean D.]

Thanks for sharing Rick! Its great to see folks still dragging calves to the fire instead of using squeeze chutes. I used to attend a friends annual branding when I still had my heeling horse. Good times.

[smokeywolf]

Never attended a branding. But spent many a happy day babysittin' cattle.

starmac, That's why traditionally, a man who raises cows is called a "rancher" and a man who raises sheep is called a "sheep farmer".

No offense meant to you gentlemen who raise sheep.

smokeywolf

[starmac]

Well we always called them , ah nevermind. lol I just stayed away from sheep after that one encounter. lol Was always around cows, even raised hogs and MILKED goats, but one day of sheep was enough. lol

[41 mag fan]

I'd rather have my beef from out there on the range, than from the pens we seen going thru Nebraska. The cattle were standing belly deep in sh*t and mud. Stench was horrible too, and I worked dairy and hog farms all my early yrs into my late teens.

[starmac]

Probably 99% of range beef is finished in feedlots. Very little beef comes from a pasture to the freezer.

[square butte]

I enjoyed seeing these. Thanks so much for putting them up. Takes me straight back to my boyhood days up the Aravaipa canyon on Wood brother's (my cousins) Red Panorama ranch - /F/ - Branded that on to alot of calf flanks. Thanks again.

[41 mag fan]

Probably 99% of range beef is finished in feedlots. Very little beef comes from a pasture to the freezer.

Thats true Starmac. Usually though, we buy a 1/2 beef every year here from the local butcher. Don't buy much from the store, unless we run out and just have to. Would rather buy from the butcher here on hamburger if we run out, he buys local and we know where and what farmer they come from. Usually just 1/2 mi down the road, from Gress farms, so i know they're pasture raised. But the 1/2 beef, are pen raised, and grain fed, but not in a feedlot thats up to their bellies in mud and sh-t. Not much grass in the 1/2 acre lot, but they're fed grain and alfalfa hay.
I'd much rather buy hamburger for $3.50 or so a lb, and know where it came from, than from the store at $2.49 a lb and not know whats in it. Plus it supports the local neighbors here in my area. Or whatever the prices are actually. Here the butchers normally .50 over store price

[Love Life]

I thought beef came from the store?

AZ Rick- The starch was not pleasant on a horse. The starch was in my out in town trying to impress the ladies wranglers.

[Edubya]

Didn't see anybody roasting those mountain oysters. When it's branding time it's also castration time and the Mexicans would have those things cooking before the calf stood up. I think that I was 13 or 14 before I finally tried my first one. Uvalde,Texas.

[x101airborne]

x101, being from Victoria, you know your starch when you see it,...er feel it. Cowboys are vain, got to have a certain look and a wife that irons. Myself I just wear those 95% plastic, 5% cotton shirts. I had blood up to the elbows, when I got home I soaked my shirt in cold water and Dawn dish soap. Good as new, wore it to a dance on Friday. I forgot to clean the cowxxxx off my boots though.

Rick

Down here, cow**** on your boots verifies how many cows you have. Up to the heel, you own a lot. Up to the ankle, you own a few. And Up to the knee you dont own any, you work for someone else for the love of it. I used to ride a little for a local cowboy here. Mainly while they took the main herd, I would just trail behind and close gates, water the dogs, etc. I got to chase a few, but not often. I wore a starched shirt once. ONCE. In Texas heat, that didn't last long.