Tag: ranch life
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The OB Ward and Nursing Home Ranch
The problem with deferring replacement heifers too long is that you’re apt to end up with a lot of really old cows and a bunch of young, first time calvers to take care of simultaneously come calving time. Hanging on to cows too long and not incorporating younger cows into the herd gradually, creates more…
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Miracle Wire
For a while, our son was convinced my husband made miracles happen with wire. As a three-year old, he believed baling wire produced miracles because his dad used it a lot and called it miracle wire. The nickname stuck with our son because he witnessed bailing wire saving the day many times when my husband…
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Not Amused
Theme parks and carnivals don’t amuse me at all. A lot of new kids to our ranch think it’s an entertainment mecca, making me the head of amusement park security. Kids that have never seen a stack yard are in awe of our two-story, neatly stacked round bales. I know what they’re thinking before they…
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Ranching Lifestyle Survey
If the thought of ranching for a living sounds interesting and fun, you should take the following survey first to determine if ranching would suit you. Some of the questions concern your personality; others determine your knowledge about ranch life. 1. After accidentally stepping in fresh manure, a. you’re convinced that your shoes are ruined…
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Revisiting Ranch Country
It’s time for a trip back to ranch country which means another lesson in the country’s language (you can read the first lesson at www.ranchwifesslant.com archives section). The following are more words and popular slang terms used by natives of ranch country. Gather: To scatter in all directions or spread out. By doing so, horseback…
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Learning the Language
Anytime someone visits a different country and culture, it’s helpful to learn the native language. The following is a language lesson covering some of the most commonly used words in ranch country. It’s a complicated language that’s similar to English but has room for misinterpretation. Slick calf/cow: A calf or cow that is NOT slippery when…
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Calling Cattle Names
The only cows we name are any calves that are born from the kids’ cow Annabelle, and our butcher critters. (Although there are a few that gain a reputation and get named.) Our kids’ cow herd started out seven years ago with a bottle calf they named Annabelle. After Annabelle was old enough to get…
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Eat Like an Animal
There are days when I would rather feed our heifer calves than my family. For me, cooking is oftentimes more trying than parenting or ranching. I strive to have supper ready at a time when we can all sit down together and I try to make wholesome, home-cooked meals that nourish and satisfy, but I…
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Waiting For A Downpour
I’m one of those people who look for the bad in a situation. Problems are commonplace on a ranch and I thrive on the drama that our ranch’s problems produce. The basis of my column is about marriage, parenting, ranching, and rural life in western South Dakota but it’s describing the troubles we face that…
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Sale Day–A Family Event
Sale Day–A Family Event Every year my husband and I let our kids decide if they want to come with us to watch our calves sell. We always brought them with us when they were small and kept them out of school a few times back in their early elementary school days to come…