Feeding Heifers-Part I

The heifers, or cows giving birth for the first time, are kept in a separate area close to my brother-in-law's house so he can keep an eye on them and help them out if they run into any problems. Every afternoon they are fed at about the same time with the idea that the late feeding will encourage more of them to give birth during the day. (It's easier to see if they're having trouble during the day than night.) This late afternoon feeding often allows the cousins to do this chore.

Here three of them are waiting in the blue tractor for their older sister to load a third bale of oat hay on to the trailer. Their dog, Jan, is sitting on a bale of alfalfa hay, patiently waiting.

Henry got excited seeing her and ran over to say hi. The only problem is he has a fear of jumping and wouldn't get on the trailer. And Jan thought it was pretty funny to be queen of the hay trailer and have it all to herself, so she didn't want to get down. Henry moved all around the trailer, trying to find an easy way to get on, but with no success.

Henry eventually convinced Jan to get off the hay trailer and they had a great time chasing each other around in the mud. Sometimes it looks like being a dog is a fun life!

Meanwhile, up in the tractor the kids take a break from fighting to smile for the camera. Their mom takes lots of pictures of them so they know how to pose. They also know how to fight quite well, too, especially when they're a little tired and want to get moving. 

Their big sister is using the squeeze to pinch a bale of hay between two big metal arms. On this day it was extra hard because it was so muddy, and the wheels kept spinning, so it took longer than usual.

Finally, though, she got the hay and was on her way over to the trailer. Tomorrow we'll follow the trailer and go see the heifers and some of the new calves.

Desert Boy Goes Sledding

We've had a couple good storms lately bringing some much needed moisture to our desert area. So we packed up the sled and headed up into the mountains to a sledding hill to enjoy the wintery fun. There were about 20 people in all sledding (or spectating). I thought we should get started right away and hauled Desert Boy and a sled up a hill, where we were joined by a cute redhead. We were all ready to have fun...

...and then we met reality--snow in the faces! Neither Kara nor Desert Boy were happy about it. But not to worry, the fun didn't end there. 

The sledding hill was relatively big--that blob part way down one of the sled runs is two people on a sled. Now why is it that sleds are magically attracted to trees? Notice how many of the sled trails lead down to the one lone tree at the bottom?

Yep, Desert Boy found out about it the hard way.

And then again. He had the hardest time keeping his mittens on, and his little paws got cold and he hollered. Desert Boy doesn't exactly have a quiet voice, so everyone knew he wasn't happy. I decided to take him on another run to try to cheer him up.

But whaddya know, we ended up in that same tree. Desert Boy was not amused, so it was time to find a better sledding place for him. That better sledding place turned out to be the road. No snow up in his face, and a gentle ride where he didn't feel like he was at the mercy of gravitational pulls.

The bright side for us was an easy walk uphill.

And then a fun ride downhill. Desert Boy is actually smiling in this photo!

He got to ride with Daddy, too. 

And then Desert Boy got a ride with his little friend. She was having some issues with snow and gravitational pulls, too, and preferred the road to the big sledding hill.

Finally Desert Boy decided he was done and bailed. Maybe next year he'll embrace the fun of sledding. And maybe by then all my bumps and bruises will have healed--that sledding hill sure looks like fun but contains a lot of hidden obstacles!

Desert Destination: Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge

Every Monday we visit a desert destination.

Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, about 90 miles north of Las Vegas on Highway 93, was established in 1963 to provide habitat for migratory birds, especially waterfowl. The 5,300-acre protected area contains lakes, marshes, and meadows, all of which are rare habitats in Nevada. It is part of the Pacific flyway, an important migratory route.

Pahranagat has two lakes, Upper and Lower, along with two marshes, North and Middle. The mix of vegetation and water depths provide food and shelter for more than 230 species of wildlife. The water component of Pahranagat is essential for most wildlife species, and comes from sources further up the valley, such as Ash Springs.

When we went by in early February, Lower Pahrangat Lake was covered with birds--thousands of them. 

This is the shallower of the two lakes, so it is often covered with dabbling ducks--those ducks that tip over with their tail feathers high in the sky as they reach down to eat aquatic vegetation and insects that are slightly below the surface. Easily identified dabbling ducks are mallards and green-winged teals.

It looked like the most common birds were American coots--small black birds with stubby white beaks. They were bobbing along on the waves in the windy afternoon.

A highway parallels the lakes and marshes of Pahranagat NWR. You can see that it's winter by the leafless cottonwoods. A couple old roads run between the highway and the lakes, allowing you to enjoy the view at a slower pace.

One of the first things to see at the turnoff to Upper Pahrangat Lake is this bird blind, built by a Youth Conservation Crew in 2008. There are a couple benches inside, where you can hide out and let the birds forget you and get closer.

Besides wildlife watching, hunting and fishing are popular activities at the national wildlife refuge.

Further down the road is the Visitor Information Center, a tiny building. An information kiosk is next to it to provide an orientation to the 32,000 visitors who get off the highway to visit the refuge. The full-time staff of Pahranagat NWR consists of two employees, so needless to say, they are always looking for good volunteers and interns.

There's a nice picnic area with a shelter over it near the visitor information center. 

One of the attractions of Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge is free camping. About a dozen campsites are located right next to the lake. They are simple, with just a picnic table and grill, so you have to bring all your amenities (including drinking water). The view is spectacular, especially considering the price!

If you don't want to camp, there's a three-mile long trail around Upper Pahranagat Lake. There's also a wheelchair accessible fishing pier at the south end. Winter is obviously not a good time to try fishing from the pier.

However, winter is an excellent time to visit the refuge, especially if you like birds. Thousands of water birds use the lakes as wintering areas, including hundreds of tundra swans. The upper lake is deeper and is used by many diving ducks like canvasbacks and lesser scaups. The diving ducks have their legs further back on their bodies and are heavier than dabbling ducks, so when they take off from the water, they have to run on it first to get up enough speed.

The day we visited, there was only one person camping and no one else visiting the refuge. Even though it's right next to a highway, it's a beautiful spot to take a break and feel like you're far from everyone. To find out more, visit the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge website.

Herding Sheep

As I was driving down the highway, I noticed something out of the ordinary--hundreds of white objects moving on the hillside. As I got closer, I saw it was a herd of sheep. This is sheep country out here, and every winter sheepherders bring thousands of sheep. The sheep are good at using the snow for moisture (unlike cattle, which need water). Thus  the sheep can survive in remote places in the desert, far from water as long as there is some snow. 

This big white dog is a sheep dog (sometimes referred to as a livestock guardian dog). The most common types of sheep dog in this area are the Pyrenees or Akbash. They are strong and loyal, and they always stay with the sheep, protecting them from predators like coyotes. They also protect them from strange humans, so it's never a good idea to get out of your car near a big sheep dog--you're liable to get bitten because you're seen as a threat.

Here's the sheepherder on his horse at the back of the herd. With him are several border collies. They are extremely helpful moving the sheep, with their herding instinct kicking in. The border collies stay with the sheepherder, returning to his camp at night. They are loyal to him, doing what he says.

If you look closely at the sheep, you'll notice they aren't all white. A brown sheep is put in for every 25 or 50 sheep (depending on the herd). The brown sheep allow for the sheepherder to quickly count the herd by counting them and then multiplying by 25 or 50.

The sheep are moved every couple of days so they don't overgraze any one area. Often the sheep are ready to move on, making it a bit easier to move them. 

They graze on the way, their thick winter coats protecting them from the elements. They will be sheared in April by sheep shearers that come all the way from New Zealand and Australia. (I will try to have a post about that when they come.)

Being a sheepherder is a lonely, but relatively peaceful life. It definitely involves lots of fresh air and sunshine. Most of the sheepherding is done far from roads, requiring the old-style skills of managing a horse and dogs. I admire the sheepherders--I don't think I could do that job for even one day.

Alien Fresh Jerky

I'm afraid I have no idea what to write about this sign.