RTV900 Earning its Keep

[bordercollie]

I've kept the RTV busy this calving season. The 4 whlr's been in the shop(it's not mine or I would have tried fixing it myself) and so the hrs have really piled up on the RTV . I did the second engine oil change at 148 hrs yesterday while waiting for a cow to calve. She didn't --so we had to deliver it. It was a hard ,tight pull but my sis and I got it out alive and it is doing well. . Anyway the RTV has been checking the pastures for problems every day for several hrs. Today I found an unclaimed twin and after much checking to make sure it was abandoned, I took the pups home came back to the field and loaded the calf in the RTV. I did tie the feet together so that it wouldn't wiggle out. I made the trip home to the barn easily thanks to the RTV and got the calf in the process of being adopted (after a bottle of colostrum).
I'm going to put the calf weighing scale on the RTV tomorrow- will try to post a picture of that. bordercollie

 

[pepr]

Must be some Black Angus in that little calf. That clean coat of fur sure does indicate that the cow or something cleaned it up at birth. Oh well, hopefully you have a nurse cow to adopt the little one.

I know this reply has ventured away from the RTV, but you've brought up a subject I much love. What's the deal on pulling the other calf, first calf heifer, large calf, incorrect position? I haven't had to pull one in many years. I hope that statement doesn't jinx me.

pepr
Rehm Angus
www.rehmangus.com

 

[Peanut]

you sure rack up them hours on the rtv's.

 

[bordercollie]

Yea Peanut, I hate to see the hr meter roll over. It means tires and fluid replacement and I hate to let go of that $$ but I do for the RTV maintenance. Pepr, this morning, I had a very long reply all typed out then hit the left click on the mouse with my coffee cup and puff it was gone. Anyway that is a registered Angus. We AI our registered herd and use our bulls on the commercial herd. We are selectively breeding the females to produce bulls if they have the right characteristics to meet our requirements. This cow was suppose to have a bull and they were both that and they were the only animals in that field. I did try to get them together but she became aggressive and I backed off. She will most likely go to McDonald land because she also abandoned a calf last year also - we finally got them paired up back then. Don't need those genes in anyone's herd .
The calf that I delivered with my sis's help was presented right but the mother was indeed a first calf heifer . We put them just behind the house in a patch so we can eyeball them during all hours and rotate them off as they calve. We try to move them as soon as possible because the other first calf heifers will let those other babies steal their colostrum so then it won't be any for their calf. Years ago, before we did selective breeding, we will pull about 10 per year, now about 1% or like last year 0. We usually have about 180 calves per year (or there abouts.) bordercollie

 

[squerly]

Today I found an unclaimed twin and after much checking to make sure it was abandoned, I took the pups home came back to the field and loaded the calf in the RTV. I did tie the feet together so that it wouldn't wiggle out. I made the trip home to the barn easily thanks to the RTV and got the calf in the process of being adopted.

Poor thing was scared to death I imagine.

 

[bordercollie]

Poor thing was scared to death I imagine.

He stayed in the same cuddled up ball all the time I was scoping out the possibilities and looking around on the RTV. They will run off like a heard of cats if you wake them up without their mama around though. He was like a sack of potatoes and just plain out of it when I took him home. When he finally started calling his mama ,he was hoarse indicating a long lonely spell. He is doing better now and nursing the new mama in the chute we will have to really work with him though.. Now the bad news.... I spend a lot of yesterday afternoon riding the awesome RTV in the cut cornfield looking for the other calf she has now "lost". What a jerk of a cow .. If she hasn't found it herself by today (hopefully she had it hid out), you can think of her next time you buy one of those angus burgers........ bordercollie

 

[nobull1]

I was just thinking while reading your post of our experience a couple weeks ago. One of my employee's was returning to the farm from a day of splitting woods a couple miles back in the woods. He has to drive by one of our wood pastures and just happened to see one of our spring calves unsteady on his feet. Upon closer inspection one of his front legs was broken off right above the hoof at the first joint. Of course this happens five minutes before everyone was ready to go home. We decided to take the Kubota for it's first mission to deal with the calf. The first thing i learned was the WS tires are worthless in anything other than level smooth hard ground. I had to use my 300 Honda to drag the calf to the Kubota, after dressing if you can imagine. We decided to shoot and field dress the calf as it wasn't stressed and was standing and eating grass like nothing was wrong. As mentioned we used the Honda to get it to the Kubota and then put it in the dump box. It was quite the job as it dressed at 250 lbs plus the head and hide (thought i was just getting weak). Anyhow two and a half hours later we were cleaning up and going home to have supper. We only calve about 10 a year and have about 30 head total so not as many stories as Bordercollie but I have a few. If it can happen to a cow i have been there done that if you know what I mean.

 

[bordercollie]

And that reminds me of an almost hopeless situation about 15 years ago when we had a grown cow feet up, halfway down in a ravine-- a big-long ravine. We got her out though. Ropes chains and a front end loader and a tarp. and she lived!. Use your imagination... Also the time a calf fell into an oil well pumper hole- 8' deep 5' wide with 3' of googy oil - got her out alive ropes, front end loader - and some really ruined work clothes- Used a lot of "joy" detergent on her fur too. Those days were before the RTV but I was reminded of those times by Nobull.
I did find the "lost" calf today in good shape so the mama has bought herself some time by taking care of it . She had it hid out in the cornfield weeds. Here's a picture taken from the RTV that helped find him.
Also, I have been bragging about how the XT transmission can go most places in H compared to my beloved trusty '05. These pictures don't show the depth perception well but I an nose first, dead stop , in H in the deep, dry ditch and climb right out of it. The next picture shows me just out of the ditch. I love this baby. bordercollie

 

[TWO GUNS]

bordercollie,
Keep up the good work. Don't deal with cattle anymore, but sure can remember the days when we did. WORK * WORK * WORK !!!!!

Working cattle is a very hard job. And knowing what I do remember, that RTV is a modern day life saver.

We done the cattle thing when Honda only had a ATC 90. And we used the three wheeler to hunt off of, and used the ATC for looking for cows that has got off in the woods.

Things sure would of been nice if we had a RTV back then >>>>>

...... two guns

 

[doggman]

This is off topic but cattle related.

I recently saw the movie Temple Grandin which is a true story about a cattlewoman who triumphs over autism. It's a tough but heartwarming movie that I recommend to anybody who's ever been around cattle, farms, children, or people with autism. It's still a good movie even if you've never been around any of those... Two thumbs up!

I saw the movie on HBO but it's probably available for rent or download.

 

[bordercollie]

This is off topic but cattle related.

I recently saw the movie Temple Grandin which is a true story about a cattlewoman who triumphs over autism. It's a tough but heartwarming movie that I recommend to anybody who's ever been around cattle, farms, children, or people with autism. It's still a good movie even if you've never been around any of those... Two thumbs up!

I saw the movie on HBO but it's probably available for rent or download.

I attended a lecture of hers in Jackson at the MCA. She is great. She has many good points on how to handle cows without making them nervous. bordercollie

 

[Kanook]

Grew up on a farm that had cows, chickens and other critters..It's still a toss up as far as I'm concerned as to which was dumber ....the cows or the chickens. An RTV would have come in handy back..way, way back then.

 

[nobull1]

I attended a lecture of hers in Jackson at the MCA. She is great. She has many good points on how to handle cows without making them nervous. bordercollie

I saw a tv show, probably PBS, with her showing how see designed chutes and why they worked. I bet it was fifteen years ago. I was interested at the time and more so today. I bet I have Incorporated a lot of her ideas into use without even knowing it.

We move cattle from the field to the truck or barn without a loud noise, striking or use of an electric prod. The most we ever use, and not often is a piece of electric fence tape, no electricity, held by two people. We cut out what we want and just suggest the direction and away they go. My father-in law used to use the scare and frighten method, which worked so long as you got them the first time. If you made a mistake they would be over the fence or you wouldn't be able to get near them for hours. Remember we don't use horses so the animal trusting you is very important.

When the new processors came to pick up our animals for the first time years ago they had two or three guy's and electric prods. When I said put them things away and I will get the cattle they just laughed at this inexperienced guy. Once I herded them in and had a light shining into the back of their trailer it was a snap.

Just last week we sent 6 to the processor from our back pasture (running loose for six months, with fright zone about 6 feet) right through the barn past thirteen animals tied in the barn and into the truck. Except for two animals that wanted to get close to the cows they all quietly just went onto the truck in about 30 seconds, bull and all. The last two animals took about 2 minutes more. The processor still just shakes his head and was the talk at the plant.

Everyone has their own way that works for them this is just my way, be it right or wrong.

I am getting a little off track about RTV's and maybe I will start a new thread about some farm stories as I have a few that I think are kool. When you have to get up close and personal with our animals it sometimes makes for good stories.

 

[nobull1]

Grew up on a farm that had cows, chickens and other critters..It's still a toss up as far as I'm concerned as to which was dumber ....the cows or the chickens. An RTV would have come in handy back..way, way back then.

Since we raise both I have my opinion on which is smarter.

Chickens just as soon as you turn the light on they want to eat regardless if they are hungry or not. When they are frightened they all pile in the corner and smother everyone on the bottom. When they see a predator they play dead before they are killed. When they are outside and cold they just stay outside and freeze and die. When a fellow chicken gets killed by a raven that rips his head off everyone can't wait to be the first to try and eat their buddy and become the next raven casualty.

Cows in the fall when it's cold and snowy stand outside the barn and look at the back door as if to say let me in. Years ago, maybe eight or nine, we used to feed our cattle some bread. There are still a few old cows that remember those days. If I go behind the barn and shake a bag of bread there are cows mooing and running to get there first, from a quarter mile away. The rest of the cows are just looking and wondering what all the fuss is about. A couple of years ago we used to feed grain from a bucket, same result as bread. When the cows go in the barn we call the vet to preg check the cows among other things. One cow we call Mikey, after the vet, tries to take his head off soon as she see's him. He has never done nothing to her but she knows exactly who he is year after year. Once he is gone she is quiet as can be. One time we had a bear in our back pasture, all the cows were behind the barn waiting for me to save the day. We had a calf born this summer and were watching it from the barn. The calf was a little weak and the mom was having a time getting it up. The other cows were nudging the calf to get up as the mom was stand along side so if it got up it would be in the right place for it to drink.

With all that being said a few years ago I built a small bridge over a brook out of an old dump truck tailgate. Well the first time I tried to get them to go over that tailgate all hell broke loose and they went through fences and went everywhere. After some thought I got a load of crusher gravel from the quarry and put over the tailgate and everyone walked across with no issue You just have to think like a cow

 

[bordercollie]

We think much alike Nobull. We despise hot shots and only use a poking stick to guide the bovine in the chute or where we want them. Ours also like to be talked to and not yelled at.The yelling accomplishes nothing but making for high strung , nervous cattle. When we do find a calf that needs hauling, either I or another family member will hold it while seated on the RTV (with the rear outward of coarse) and do the fake calf moo to get the mama's attention and so she sees it , and she will follow the RTV to wherever we go- wanting that calf. That didn't work with the abandoned calf though.
Two Guns is sure right. I don't see how I could make it without the RTV. Climbing in and out of a truck all day would make my joints ache and with the RTV you can spot those calves snuggled down in the grass- avoiding running over them. I think I have had the most fun this year using it to ride pasture than ever before. Usually the riding is shared between the 4 whlr and the RTV but it was all mine this year since the 4 whlr is in the shop. However, a great deal on another 4whlr means I will be sharing the looking with it again.One good thing though, now I will have time to haul a little of that firewood from the 3 pecans that blew down last spring and the RTV is king of the farm for that and most everything else. bordercollie...

 

[doggman]

When a fellow chicken gets killed by a raven that rips his head off everyone can't wait to be the first to try and eat their buddy and become the next raven casualty.

LMAO! Turkeys are even worse...

Whe we had a flock of chickens and guineas I used to do the box step dance to herd them in when they were straggling at sunset. It worked pretty well - you'd push into their "space" to move them and then take a step back to relax them. Anybody watching must have thought I was nutz dancing back and forth and sideways in squares outside the poultry house with a bunch of chickens...

My girlfriend is in the "animal nutrition" business and she saw Grandin talk at a meeting at the St. Louis Zoo. She said Claire Danes did a spot on job of portraying Grandin in the film.

 

[bordercollie]

Success

He stayed in the same cuddled up ball all the time I was scoping out the possibilities and looking around on the RTV. They will run off like a heard of cats if you wake them up without their mama around though. He was like a sack of potatoes and just plain out of it when I took him home. When he finally started calling his mama ,he was hoarse indicating a long lonely spell. He is doing better now and nursing the new mama in the chute we will have to really work with him though.. Now the bad news.... I spend a lot of yesterday afternoon riding the awesome RTV in the cut cornfield looking for the other calf she has now "lost". What a jerk of a cow .. If she hasn't found it herself by today (hopefully she had it hid out), you can think of her next time you buy one of those angus burgers........ bordercollie

A follow up picture of the abandoned- now adopted twin and his new mama. The cow loves "her" baby so better not mess with it! . It took 4 days for her to call to it . We use a neat method to bond them and it almost always works. The calf is registered but we put him on this commercial cow that had a dead calf the day before.The other twin is doing fine with his real mama too.- Saved from mcDs for now. bordercollie

 

[pepr]

Seems as though the timing was great, albeit a loss of a calf. Are they both bulls? I had way too many free-martins.

 

[bordercollie]

Yes, thankfully both were bulls. We always sell any free martins as part of the commercial order buyers load since they won't produce a calf in the future. bordercollie

 

[bordercollie]

RTV nice height for calf weighing

Here is a picture of the scale that we use to weigh the registered calves. It just slips in the front hitch and gets power from the power point.The scale head is the same one we use to weigh cattle with the "tray" that fits in the chute. bordercollie