Not enough hours in the day??

[TXBobcat]

While reading the "making money on cattle" post, I noticed it drifted off to the subject of how many hours people spend running their ranch/farm. This has always been an interesting subject to me as well. Years ago when I was younger, I thought that overseeing a ranching/cattle operation was no big deal, and I wondered what these people actually did all day. :roll:

Well, now that I live and work (part-time ;-) ) on a cattle ranch, I have a new appreciation for "not enough hours in the day".

For those willing to share, I would like to know what it takes to run your operation on a day to day basis.

As for me, I have a 40 hour week job in town and in the evenings and weekends, I am usually doing some type of work on the ranch. I look after a small herd of between 40 and 50 head, for an owner that is somewhat absentee. Day to day operations consist of the following:

Daily: Check cattle for health problems, new calves, cows about to calve, etc.
Check water sources to make sure their is water and no leaks in troughs.
In winter (Nov 15 thru Mar-15), put out hay and feed some cubes every 2-3 days or so.
I would say these chores average about an 1 hour per day, some days more, some days less.

2 times per year - Work cattle - vaccinations, worming, etc. About 2 days of work

throughout the year Since we calve all year long, wean groups of calves, vaccinate, brand calves - take heifer calves to vet for bangs

projects that take time
I really don't have a time estimate on the following things because I know I would never get paid for the actual hours, plus it would just confirm to my wife that I spend way too much time, as she would put it "in the pasture". Anyway, the following is a list of my time consuming projects:

- For about a year now, I have been working on a set of pens - they are mostly complete, but I am always finding things to add-on.
- Replacing old fences with new, and fencing off some seperate weaning pastures
- Clearing/spraying brush
- repairing old fences and gates.
- cutting wood
- maintenance on equipment
- mowing yards (farmhouse, my house, etc) and shredding pastures
- fixing roads, hauling gravel to fill in mud holes before next winter
- painting (pens, houses, barns, etc)
- hauling hay (we don't bale our own but we buy from a neighbor down the road and I pick up out of the field)
- registration paperwork and maintaining cattle records
- developing new web site for ranch
- penning cattle that don't like to come in pen (this includes calling all other cattle up and waiting in brush for that one old girl to step foot thru the gate - this could take some time, so a cold beverage is a neccesity while on stakeout)

That's all I can think of for now. Just when I think it's gonna be smooth sailing, something else comes up!

 

[Jake]

there is no such thing as smooth sailing around here and I'm used to it. I plan on chores takin about 2 hours from pelleting and heat detecting heifers to putting hay or whatever else is necessary that day.

Dew-Thirty- about 9:30 time for first of several Mt. Dews throughout the day.

Spend another hour or so getting everything ready to go for what the day has planned be it building fence, making hay, hauling hay, checking the herds... etc.

Plan on another 2 hours for dinner and a nap or checking boards depending on how much sleep I got the night before.

Spend rest of day doing the planned events, or fixing equipment for tomorrow's venture then eat supper and head out to heat check and then fix everything that we broke during the day.

so quit around 9:30-11:00 eat something head to bed to start around 6:30-7:00 the next day.

 

[jt]

yep, no wonder i'm so tired all the time :shock: i have to go to my regular job just to get some rest. :lol:

and i hate those stakeouts..

jt

 

[sidney411]

Gosh TXBobcat - You pretty much summed it up for me too, except since we don't live at the farm it's pretty much a bi-weekly thing (so I kind of copied you layout) except now we add in cutting, raking, baling hay. Our yard care service (we only have a few clients, but it still takes up time). Maintaining lease pastures, helping out neighbors with cows, fences, hay, pretty much what ever is asked if we can do it:

Bi-Weekly: Call and cube both herds - check for health problems, new calves, cows about to calve, etc.
Check heifers (if we have any due at the time, I check more often)
Check water sources to make sure their is water and no leaks in troughs.
In winter (Nov 15 thru Mar-15), put out hay.

2 times per year - Work cattle - vaccinations, worming, etc. About 2 days of work

throughout the year Since we calve all year long, wean (precondition) groups of calves, vaccinate, - take heifer calves to vet for bangs. Make trips to the coop to pick up bulk feed for self feeder (once for precon calves, once per month for each group of heifers - aproximately 7 months)

projects that take time

- Replacing old fences with new and creating a rotational grazing system
- Clearing/spraying brush and overgrown fence rows
- repairing old fences and gates.
- cutting, splitting, stacking wood (we also sell firewood)
- maintenance on equipment
- mowing yards (parents house, my house, other lawn care clients we have, etc)
- shredding pastures
- spraying pastures
- fertilizing pastures
- fixing roads, hauling gravel to fill in mud holes before next winter
- painting (pens, houses, barns, feeders, etc)
- cutting, raking, baling, hauling hay
- maintaining cattle records
- penning cattle that don't like to come in pen this includes calling all other cattle up and waiting behind the barn for that one old girl to step foot thru the gate, then run like heck and hope she don't see you and turn tail! (funny - I do this on occasion too!)
- building portable panels, feeders, sheds, to go to lease pasture

I know there's more, but that's all I can come up with at the time.

 

[mitchwi]

New to the boards, but I am so glad to hear of others busy lives for those who love the farm/ranch business. My husband and I both work full-time outside of the home. He is an electric lineman so he is on-call quite often which lends me to be head farmer. And I am an accountant, so Jan - April he is without my help. We have 4 children to raise also. Our farm is about an hours drive away. I have avoided trying to break down how many hours we actually put in each week, but we have also done things to help our load. We have enough round bale feeders for hay so we only need to go on a weekly basis to fill, we also have enough "steer stuffers" to at least go 2 weeks between fills, and being in Wisconsin our biggest worry in the winter is water freezing, so we have back-ups for our back-ups when it comes to that!

Nothing ever goes as planned so we can build great fences, trim the woods around the fields, maintain the equipment, but it never stops mother-nature from dropping a 30 year old oak on the fence line, or stops Murphy's law from happening, when trying to get the hay up and a belt busts. Or any other numerous breakdowns, etc.

So instead we run to the farm during the week, when it is needed, and work every weekend, holiday, vacation, more often than not it is before sun-up to after sun-down. But we are all working together most of the time, mom, dad, the kids, on occasion we get other family members helping out also. Sometimes theres hollering, but more often there's laughter, summer time is usually great water balloon fights, and in the winter we have great hills to get some sledding in. Somehow we always find time to get a little fun in with the work.

 

[John Mc.]

I also work a full time job and my wife and I started talking about how we spend our holidays and vacations with the intention of just taking it easy and relaxing around the farm. Of course that never happens. I'll just go out with the idea of checking on something and 8 hours later I'll return. So....... we are actually going to leave for 4 days and go to the Ozarks and let someone else make breakfast, mow the lawns and make the beds. Have a neighbor checking in on things and will try to not think about the place for a little while.

Wish me luck and I'll send everyone a postcard.

On a similar topic. How many of you have friends or relatives that don't understand why you can't just run in for the weekend? They mean well. They just don't understand how difficult it is.

 

[Dee]

Glad to see I'm with the majority and always doing something with the cows. I detest those people that assume just because the cows are at pasture I am sittin' around eating bon-bons. I have 5 small lease pasture spread through out the county, and today was "mineral monday". Almost 5 hours to drive to all 5, check on the cattle, treat the cattle fly rubs, mix salt/mineral, check creep feeder levels, and check all the batteries for electric fencers. I drive by 3 of the pastures ( about 12 miles away) every day to make sure everyone is in, my daughter checks the other 2 on her way to work. Winter here consists of alot of feeding the pens of cattle. All cattle are penned, and fed mixed rations, no winter pastures. Cattle start calving in February, AI ing starts in April. There's always something! It's like having a herd of children, making sure everyone has food, water, shelter, health care, etc.

 

[Campground Cattle]

Heck there are not enough days in the year much less hours.

 

[Crowderfarms]

But, to sum it up, We'd never have it any other way. IMHO, it's the best Life there is.

 

[Bama]

I gotta ask what is shredding pastures. I ain't never heard of the term. Its funny how there are differant terms around the country or country's.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Bush hogging a pasture.

 

[Bama]

That I know. Gotta start that as soon as it dries up. I ain't said that in a while. Dries up, it still sounds funny.

 

[Bez]

I generally get up at around 0830 or so - coffee for an hour - make sure the wife has the chores done - go visit with the boys at the feed store - back for lunch with the wife while I give her the chore list for the afternoon and then make sure she has the house nice and tidy.

After lunch I have a nap while she sorts the paper work and pays any bills that come in. Then I get up and back check her work - because she always forgets something. Hard to find good help you know.

After she has the supper dishes done we generally go for a drive - off to pick up a six pack - she drives me home while I plan the next days event.

Now that we have a wood stove, she has learned to run a chainsaw - but I still go with her to act as a safety guy until she has the hang of it. I bought her a new hydraulic powered wood splitter - it's a little easier on her, as she is only 5 foot 1 inch.

Just before we go to bed I ask her to check the animals in the pens around the house - just to make sure they are all ok - no need to get woken up in the middle of the night because something has gone wrong - besides, I do not like her having to go out after dark unless it is a real emergency.

On Sundays I let her sleep until about 0730 - but no later - that way she still has enough time to do the chores and still get cleaned up for church. I do not make her get breakfast for us - we eat at a restaurant in town on Sunday mornings - I pay, because she needs a treat once in a while.

Where does the time in a day go? 8)

Bez

 

[msscamp]

I generally get up at around 0830 or so - coffee for an hour - make sure the wife has the chores done - go visit with the boys at the feed store - back for lunch with the wife while I give her the chore list for the afternoon and then make sure she has the house nice and tidy.

After lunch I have a nap while she sorts the paper work and pays any bills that come in. Then I get up and back check her work - because she always forgets something. Hard to find good help you know.

After she has the supper dishes done we generally go for a drive - off to pick up a six pack - she drives me home while I plan the next days event.

Now that we have a wood stove, she has learned to run a chainsaw - but I still go with her to act as a safety guy until she has the hang of it. I bought her a new hydraulic powered wood splitter - it's a little easier on her, as she is only 5 foot 1 inch.

Just before we go to bed I ask her to check the animals in the pens around the house - just to make sure they are all ok - no need to get woken up in the middle of the night because something has gone wrong - besides, I do not like her having to go out after dark unless it is a real emergency.

On Sundays I let her sleep until about 0730 - but no later - that way she still has enough time to do the chores and still get cleaned up for church. I do not make her get breakfast for us - we eat at a restaurant in town on Sunday mornings - I pay, because she needs a treat once in a while.

Where does the time in a day go? 8)

Bez

You're a regular gentleman, huh? ;-)

 

[Bez]

I generally get up at around 0830 or so - coffee for an hour - make sure the wife has the chores done - go visit with the boys at the feed store - back for lunch with the wife while I give her the chore list for the afternoon and then make sure she has the house nice and tidy.

After lunch I have a nap while she sorts the paper work and pays any bills that come in. Then I get up and back check her work - because she always forgets something. Hard to find good help you know.

After she has the supper dishes done we generally go for a drive - off to pick up a six pack - she drives me home while I plan the next days event.

Now that we have a wood stove, she has learned to run a chainsaw - but I still go with her to act as a safety guy until she has the hang of it. I bought her a new hydraulic powered wood splitter - it's a little easier on her, as she is only 5 foot 1 inch.

Just before we go to bed I ask her to check the animals in the pens around the house - just to make sure they are all ok - no need to get woken up in the middle of the night because something has gone wrong - besides, I do not like her having to go out after dark unless it is a real emergency.

On Sundays I let her sleep until about 0730 - but no later - that way she still has enough time to do the chores and still get cleaned up for church. I do not make her get breakfast for us - we eat at a restaurant in town on Sunday mornings - I pay, because she needs a treat once in a while.

Where does the time in a day go? 8)

Bez

You're a regular gentleman, huh? ;-)

I do my darndest to keep the ladies of the house happy!

More baling tomorrow - if I could only persuade Mrs. Bez to do that as well - life would be grand.

:lol:

Bez

 

[Wewild]

I generally get up at around 0830 or so - coffee for an hour - make sure the wife has the chores done - go visit with the boys at the feed store - back for lunch with the wife while I give her the chore list for the afternoon and then make sure she has the house nice and tidy.

After lunch I have a nap while she sorts the paper work and pays any bills that come in. Then I get up and back check her work - because she always forgets something. Hard to find good help you know.

After she has the supper dishes done we generally go for a drive - off to pick up a six pack - she drives me home while I plan the next days event.

Now that we have a wood stove, she has learned to run a chainsaw - but I still go with her to act as a safety guy until she has the hang of it. I bought her a new hydraulic powered wood splitter - it's a little easier on her, as she is only 5 foot 1 inch.

Just before we go to bed I ask her to check the animals in the pens around the house - just to make sure they are all ok - no need to get woken up in the middle of the night because something has gone wrong - besides, I do not like her having to go out after dark unless it is a real emergency.

On Sundays I let her sleep until about 0730 - but no later - that way she still has enough time to do the chores and still get cleaned up for church. I do not make her get breakfast for us - we eat at a restaurant in town on Sunday mornings - I pay, because she needs a treat once in a while.

Where does the time in a day go? 8)

Bez

You're a regular gentleman, huh? ;-)

I do my darndest to keep the ladies of the house happy!

More baling tomorrow - if I could only persuade Mrs. Bez to do that as well - life would be grand.

:lol:

Bez

With all that money you got, maybe you just ain't bought here the tractor and bailer she likes. I got mine a lawn mower and weed eater she's kinda sweet own. She won't let me touch them.

 

[msscamp]

I generally get up at around 0830 or so - coffee for an hour - make sure the wife has the chores done - go visit with the boys at the feed store - back for lunch with the wife while I give her the chore list for the afternoon and then make sure she has the house nice and tidy.

After lunch I have a nap while she sorts the paper work and pays any bills that come in. Then I get up and back check her work - because she always forgets something. Hard to find good help you know.

After she has the supper dishes done we generally go for a drive - off to pick up a six pack - she drives me home while I plan the next days event.

Now that we have a wood stove, she has learned to run a chainsaw - but I still go with her to act as a safety guy until she has the hang of it. I bought her a new hydraulic powered wood splitter - it's a little easier on her, as she is only 5 foot 1 inch.

Just before we go to bed I ask her to check the animals in the pens around the house - just to make sure they are all ok - no need to get woken up in the middle of the night because something has gone wrong - besides, I do not like her having to go out after dark unless it is a real emergency.

On Sundays I let her sleep until about 0730 - but no later - that way she still has enough time to do the chores and still get cleaned up for church. I do not make her get breakfast for us - we eat at a restaurant in town on Sunday mornings - I pay, because she needs a treat once in a while.

Where does the time in a day go? 8)

Bez

You're a regular gentleman, huh? ;-)

I do my darndest to keep the ladies of the house happy!

More baling tomorrow - if I could only persuade Mrs. Bez to do that as well - life would be grand.

:lol:

Bez

:lol2: Maybe a longer whip?

 

[Bez]

I generally get up at around 0830 or so - coffee for an hour - make sure the wife has the chores done - go visit with the boys at the feed store - back for lunch with the wife while I give her the chore list for the afternoon and then make sure she has the house nice and tidy.

After lunch I have a nap while she sorts the paper work and pays any bills that come in. Then I get up and back check her work - because she always forgets something. Hard to find good help you know.

After she has the supper dishes done we generally go for a drive - off to pick up a six pack - she drives me home while I plan the next days event.

Now that we have a wood stove, she has learned to run a chainsaw - but I still go with her to act as a safety guy until she has the hang of it. I bought her a new hydraulic powered wood splitter - it's a little easier on her, as she is only 5 foot 1 inch.

Just before we go to bed I ask her to check the animals in the pens around the house - just to make sure they are all ok - no need to get woken up in the middle of the night because something has gone wrong - besides, I do not like her having to go out after dark unless it is a real emergency.

On Sundays I let her sleep until about 0730 - but no later - that way she still has enough time to do the chores and still get cleaned up for church. I do not make her get breakfast for us - we eat at a restaurant in town on Sunday mornings - I pay, because she needs a treat once in a while.

Where does the time in a day go? 8)

Bez

You're a regular gentleman, huh? ;-)

I do my darndest to keep the ladies of the house happy!

More baling tomorrow - if I could only persuade Mrs. Bez to do that as well - life would be grand.

:lol:

Bez

With all that money you got, maybe you just ain't bought here the tractor and bailer she likes. I got mine a lawn mower and weed eater she's kinda sweet own. She won't let me touch them.

Funny you should mention my financial situation. I am so rich from working in this business I am thinking about changing my entire line of old equipment out for an entire line of new equipment - I have suppliers and bidders lining up at the door!

8)

Now for the truth.

I am NOT allowed to cut the lawn or work in the garden - I do not come up to the standards the females in this house demand - fine by me - I like field work anyways.

I have received two PM's - both telling me I am not the person I wrote about.

OK - I will admit it. I will also admit I really would like to be that person.

Only thing is - I really hate living alone!!!

:lol:

Bez

 

[Wewild]

Funny you should mention my financial situation. I am so rich from working in this business I am thinking about changing my entire line of old equipment out for an entire line of new equipment - I have suppliers and bidders lining up at the door!

8)

Now for the truth.

I am NOT allowed to cut the lawn or work in the garden - I do not come up to the standards the females in this house demand - fine by me - I like field work anyways.

I have received two PM's - both telling me I am not the person I wrote about.

OK - I will admit it. I will also admit I really would like to be that person.

Only thing is - I really hate living alone!!!

:lol:

Bez

Thanks Bez,

You took the edge off of a rather sh!t!y day.

Take care.

 

[msscamp]

I generally get up at around 0830 or so - coffee for an hour - make sure the wife has the chores done - go visit with the boys at the feed store - back for lunch with the wife while I give her the chore list for the afternoon and then make sure she has the house nice and tidy.

After lunch I have a nap while she sorts the paper work and pays any bills that come in. Then I get up and back check her work - because she always forgets something. Hard to find good help you know.

After she has the supper dishes done we generally go for a drive - off to pick up a six pack - she drives me home while I plan the next days event.

Now that we have a wood stove, she has learned to run a chainsaw - but I still go with her to act as a safety guy until she has the hang of it. I bought her a new hydraulic powered wood splitter - it's a little easier on her, as she is only 5 foot 1 inch.

Just before we go to bed I ask her to check the animals in the pens around the house - just to make sure they are all ok - no need to get woken up in the middle of the night because something has gone wrong - besides, I do not like her having to go out after dark unless it is a real emergency.

On Sundays I let her sleep until about 0730 - but no later - that way she still has enough time to do the chores and still get cleaned up for church. I do not make her get breakfast for us - we eat at a restaurant in town on Sunday mornings - I pay, because she needs a treat once in a while.

Where does the time in a day go? 8)

Bez

You're a regular gentleman, huh? ;-)

I do my darndest to keep the ladies of the house happy!

More baling tomorrow - if I could only persuade Mrs. Bez to do that as well - life would be grand.

:lol:

Bez

With all that money you got, maybe you just ain't bought here the tractor and bailer she likes. I got mine a lawn mower and weed eater she's kinda sweet own. She won't let me touch them.

Funny you should mention my financial situation. I am so rich from working in this business I am thinking about changing my entire line of old equipment out for an entire line of new equipment - I have suppliers and bidders lining up at the door!

8)

Now for the truth.

I am NOT allowed to cut the lawn or work in the garden - I do not come up to the standards the females in this house demand - fine by me - I like field work anyways.

I have received two PM's - both telling me I am not the person I wrote about.

OK - I will admit it. I will also admit I really would like to be that person.

Only thing is - I really hate living alone!!!

:lol:

Bez

Whatever else you may be lacking, you are NOT lacking intelligence!! ;-)