Smith Land & Cattle Co.
Claremore, Oklahoma
Welcome to the CR Ranch Journal. Look here if you are interested in our month to month activities at Smith Land and Cattle Co. Thanks for stopping by - Carol
September News 2009
Alright this month started out GREAT! Yasmin entered the world approximately at 7:30 on the first morning of September... Her big sister and I went to see them around noon and Sophie can say Yazzie so that's what I'm going to call her. She came in at 7 lbs 3 oz. and her and mom are doing fine. Dad thinks she's pretty cool and big sister is still on the fence, but I give her a month and she will warm up. Kind of get a warm and fuzzy like the new baby kittens we had last month that all the girls thought were pretty cool.
Been calving all month, its been great watching all the new babies. On the sunny days they are romping and sunning themselves and reminds you what you do this all for. Kind of like those grand girls and watching them grow. CR Envoy calves are arriving as the days pass and they are looking great! The three weaning daughters are doing good and growing well also. So we have our second calf crop from him on the ground. Got a email from a friend in Arkansas and she has some on the ground as well and is very pleased with them. Not one has had to be pulled and the weights have been between 70 and 80 pounds so looks like he is a true heifer bull. Excitement is building all around about this bull.
We've gotten a lot of rain this month and grass has grown better this fall than it did in the spring. We even had to brush hog some fields to move calf pairs or you wouldn't have been able to find the calves grass was so high. It is really thick too definitely better than earlier this year, so things are looking pretty good going into the fall of the year.
Had the hay tested so would have an idea of how the protein was and would know what type of cube would need to feed this winter, as some years can feed a 14% or less. It cost about six dollars per test, but I feel it is worth it. We did buy in some hay this year as the hay production was down by about a third, so needed to see how it was doing. The bought in hay was pretty good, just under 10% protein, overall not bad.
Rogers and Mayes county had their fairs, which are always fun and interesting to go see how the kids do with their animals. Friends did pretty well in the show ring and a couple of kids I knew got into the premium sale. So hats off to them for all their hard work. Unfortunely I didn't make the premium sale as I thought we were going to flood again, we got 5 inches of rain in the afternoon and was busy moving equipment and animals, just in case and forgot about going to town. They didn't miss me too much heard we had on e of the best premium sales ever.
Finally got the barn repairs done from the spring flood, man hope that doesn't happen again for awhile, what a mess. Had to redo all the stalls, hallway and are now working on the pens around the chute area and stuff, just have on more shed and pen to get back up in shape so feel it hasn't gone too bad.
Weaned calves this month and took some to town for various reasons, prices not too bad, for cull calves and cows that were old or open for one reason or another. Ed says I am cleaning house and sometimes it feels like it. Oh well no one ever told me you could only clean in the spring. Some of the old girls, it wasn't so easy, they had been giving me good and sometimes great calves for fourteen years and the last calf was just too much for them, but it was time, so life goes.
October News 2009
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Almost finished calving, only a few left. Most of out fall calves are from our bull 7012, really like the looks of them so far. And the reports of his calves from a few other herds have all been positive. If you are interested take a moment and look at a few of the calves on the News page.
Its been a really rainy month with only a few glimpses of sunshine around here. Man o man am I ready for some Sunshine. Hopefully we will get some before winter hits. We got a frost the middle of the month, really knocked the grass back that was going so well. But the oats we put in for the first calf heifers came up real well, so moved everyone that calves into that 90 acres and they all seem to be doing well.
Just read an article, that stated don't keep stray livestock as you can be charged with a felony. Reminds me of a few years ago, when the ostrich and emus craze was over. Woke one morning to find a big bird on our property. Yes we did notify the sheriff, just like we were supposed to. His comment was, well we been finding them everywhere and no one is claiming them, bit if you can catch it we will try and dispose of him. Him being a loose term here as not sure how to determine the sex of the bird. Well we tried to corral it, but it would get close to the gate, then turn and run like the dickens, then turn and come back, just never quite getting inside the corral. These are pretty big birds and not quite as friendly as they might look. Anyway to make a long story short never ever rope one. And that's all I'm going to say on the subject, except never did see him or the rope again.
Sent CR Envoy up to Stafford for collection again as we are getting some interest in him and selling some semen. Was a long trip as a friend of mine that sometimes goes for the company was a little under the weather and decided not to go. Can't really blame her as I don't need to catch anything or Yazzie and all the other girls are off limits to me with all the flu seeming to go around already this year.
Had all three girls overnight and the weather wasn't too bad so got to go look at calves and dragged old Sugar out for a spin. I will say this for them they keep me on my toes and my brain circulating answering all the questions a five year old can come up with and now the three year old is jumping in.
Man O Man, am almost giddy today, its the 28th of October and the sun is shining for the first time in almost two weeks. It's a wonderful day! Got out today to see calves with just a light jacket on, not even going to complain about the wind. (Which by the way is blowing 25 to 30 mph) But the sun is shining so all is good today. Maybe if we are lucky will dry out the fields a little bit as there are chances of rain again tomorrow, oh well will be a new day.
We finished off the month with no more rain in sight for awhile, which will probably mean will be praying for a little by the end of the year. But at least today the sun is shining and the ponds are full. Hope the same can be said at your house.
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Sept. & Oct 2009 CR Journal
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