The whole bunch March 08

We always take a photo of the whole group at the end of the branding. Over the years we can look back and see friends who have passed on as well as how much the kids have grown. The brandings are really a high point of our life on the ranch.

Wolfgang and Billy 08

Women at the branding 08

This Mennonite girl is a real hand, here she is castrating one of our calves.

Gaede branding spring 2007

Yes we are still branding cattle just like they did in the old days.

The kids had fun too.

The cowboys and their horses.

All Photos copyright April Gaede

Playing in the water

It was still so wet that the water was running across the road and all the little girls got to play in the creek. All photos copyright April Gaede

Brandings are family friendly

All photos copyright April Gaede

Good friends equals good help and good times.

All photos copyright April Gaede

My what big needles you have!

I got the job of giving shots this year as usual. All the calves get an immunization and the bulls get antibiotics too since the are getting castrated. All photos copyright April Gaede

Cutting the bull calves

Everyone has their particular job, some like to rope and others like to work the ground crew. Don usually cuts the bulls and Will usually throws the calves.

First we bring about 8-10 head of calves at a time into the roping pen. Mounted riders rope the head and then another cowboy ropes the hind legs. The cowboys on the ground crew throw the calves and then take the rope off the neck and put it around the front feet, stretching the calf out and holding them in place to be worked on. All photos copyright April Gaede

The corral can get busy at times. Here we have a young bull being branded and casterated at the same time while his front and hind legs are held by two horses. Note the yellow swastika eartag has already been attached. All photos copyright April Gaede