Back in Time - To the Sale Barn

Securing the gate
Bruce M., Grandma Rosie, Dwight M.
date unknown
I wrote briefly about the Holstein bull(s) that were kept in the corral with the dairy herd in this post. Everyone who worked around the cows in the corral had a healthy respect for the bull and kept a wary eye out for him. My mother sometimes carried a stick with her when she gathered the cows into the holding pen.

The photo above was taken from the loft of the barn and shows the cows in the east corral, eating hay or silage after the morning milking.


My nephews and mother are securing the gate of the holding pen because on that day, the bull and several young bulls were being shipped to the sale barn. Note the twisted metal panel/gate in this photo. One guess who did that damage.



The loading chute was on the north side of the barn, and here my nephew Dwight is hazing the cattle into the lane that leads to the chute where a truck was waiting as my brother Rich is preparing to close the gate to the lane. Nephew, Bruce is approaching from the far right to climb up and close the tail gate on the truck.

Securing the truck's tailgate

 Everyone was glad to see this guy headed down the road to the sale barn!


Comments

  1. It is really amazing that you have photos of this event. Most families, like mine, only have boring posed photos that do not have a great story behind them.

    We ran cattle and sheep when still on the farm. And we had a buck sheep that was mean - which forced me to carry a big stick when I walked through the sheep yard. So I had to smile at your mention of that practice.

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  2. Oh wow, I spent many a Saturday in the sales barn! Good memories!

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  3. Whoa, that looks so scary! Our neighbor was killed by a bull who gored him when they were trying to load him. Nevertheless, I did find these photos so interesting and that fencing so beautiful. Those people work hard for a living.

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  4. What an operation! It takes quite a team to get the job done!

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  5. From someone who knows very little about cattle farming, this is so interesting to learn about!

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  6. I find farming/ranch work so fascinating. Seeing the size of our neighbors bulls here I can only guess :)

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  7. Awwwwwwwwww....he looks sad to be leaving. ;-)

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