Branding & Immunizing - Cows!

Late this spring (which is always an early summer around "these parts") we were invited to go to the branding and immunizing at a friends family ranch in Young.  My slight obsession with the Pioneer Woman aside, I was super excited to get to be a part of the festivities.  We loaded up the ol'family truckster, met up with the Grote's and drove up to the ranch.  As it would turn out my friend that invited us Emilie's father is friends with Travis' dad and simply because it was in Young (population >100) we were treated like family and it was so much fun.  I can't wait to go back this spring!

 

 Just watching things get under way. ...

 Tate, make yourself at home.  There is no possible way that seat can be comfortable.

 Squish and Emilie.

Me:  "Billy, turn around.  No silly, turn the other way."  Billy:  "Huh?  What?  Where are you?  Oh.  Hi!"

The cowboys split their work into two portions, first the branding of the babies.  Ahhh.  Then the immunizing of the mamas.  For the record the mamas do not like getting immunized.  In between the two the ladies cooked up a delicious cowboy breakfast for all the guys and spectators.  We were spectators, in case you were wondering... I did slice the watermelon though.

Abi and Nora.  They are just a coupe months away from sharing the same class!

 Abi and Nora were not sure about the immunizing.  Those mama cows fight back.  I thought the branding would be way harder to take than it actually was.  I was all prepared to answer some hard questions about why they were torturing those baby cows, but the "squeezer" was by far the more traumatic event.  I suppose not all of the cattle were as fired up over it as others.  For example, the one below, in that picture.  Her solution was to kill them kindness.  Rather than kick and moo and raise a huff she decided to try and lick everyone to death.  I had no idea how long a cows tongue really is. 

It was such a fun experience.  Invited or not we will be back next year for sure!  Many thanks to the Augustine family for the hospitality from all of the Deatschs!