The Round-Up

This is a few weeks old, but I was a major participant in the Johnson and Johnson Cattle round-up. It was pretty exciting. Herding cow's, loading into trailers and bringing them to the ranch (Grandma Johnson's house) for branding, worming, ear marking, de-horning, and making bull's into steers which appeared from my standpoint a very uncomfortable process. I am sure that after having a hot branding iron pressed on your front shoulder until all the hair was burnt off and a nice back to back J and J was scorched into your hide, maybe placing a rubber band on some of your private parts would be hardly noticeable. Unfortunately I did not get pictures of the two procedures so you could cast your vote as to which looked the most painful. After we were all done I realized how glad I was not a cow. That picture of cow's doing nothing but grazing out in pastures with endless amounts of food, sleeping as long as desired, and walking around smelling each others hind end (well I'm not sure that is really that glamorous) does come with a price.

You are probably asking yourself, what is this picture and what does it have to do with the round-up. Not sure other than it was taken sometime between the beginning and end of the round up. Probably wanted to show the quality of the feed the cow's have to eat or a picture taken with out my knowing it.

 Cowboy's vs Cows

As the following two pictures show, the cows lost. This little guy was really enjoying this event. I guess that may be why he was winking.... Oh if he only knew what was coming this little bull wouldn't be joking around so much. Obviously he couldn't see the blood on the panels behind him.

This little exercise is what is called "sawing the horn off a cow." The result was a little messy and the cow didn't seem to enjoy it to much. In defense of my brother who was inflicting the pain, the horn was growing into the side of the head of the cow, so in the long run it was in the cow's best interest.