The Rural Voice, 1979-10, Page 9C IJNITY
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This summer Glen Wells and Ted Parker
looked after almost 1500 head of beef
cattle, divided into lots of about 325 cattle
apiece.
Mr. Slade said for a farmer who has a
100-200 acre operation, "getting a few
head on here makes a difference to his
financial structure."
When the land was purchased in 1965,
most of the property was owned by
non-residents, older people who had
moved off the farms. The site, which is
quite hilly in sections, was grown up with
thorn trees and tumble down buildings
dotted the landscape.
The first chore facing the original employ-
ees was to remove the thorn trees and
other dead brush, demolish the buildings
and then re -seed the land in timothy and
trefoil. Some of the lower lying areas were
also drained.
The rejuvenation process was obviously
a success, and Ron Slade said since the
first planting, there hasn't been any
additional breaking or re -seeding. Each fall
a hefty application of commercial fertilizer
This is the sign on the corner of the ARDA community pasture, which
takes up 1450 acres dust west of the community of Underwood.
is applied to assure there'll be plenty of
grass come next spring.
For the farm's two employees, the day's
work starts early. Glen Wells, the farm
manager, said the two men head out when
the cattle are feeding in the morning, since
they can pick out any sick steers better this
time of day. If they come across a steer that
isn't feeding, then they can have him back
to the barn by the time the vet calls round
later in the day.
THE OLD RELIABLES
When the ARDA community pasture
was first launched, on a smaller scale than
today's operation, employees tried to
monitor the cattle on foot or with pickup
trucks. This just didn't work, particularly
as the operation grew and committee
members recommended go back to
the old reliables - horses.
Glen Wells said the advantage of using
horses is that the men are above the cattle
and can pick out the sick steers easily and
move them out of the herd.
He said he and Ted Parker brought in a
steer the day before that he would like to
have seen someone try to bring in using
even three pickups.
Now obviously the secret in riding the
range is to find reliable horses that are
comfortable with the cattle. filen rides his
own registered Appaloosa and Ted rides a
registered quarter horse, both animals
veterans in rounding up steers.
The men also keep two other horses on the
farm in case one of their regular mounts is
having an off day.
Glen Wells said it takes a couple of years
working cattle for a horse to really know
what he's doing and then "they do the
work for you."
The men rarely have to dismount when
they're out on their daily rounds. When
they find an animals with sore feet, or
which isn't eating, they single the steer
out. Then they use a tranquilizer gun to
shoot penicillin into the animal. Ted Parker
said this saves chasing the steer around,
which makes the rifle a "cheap invest-
ment"; one used increasingly by cattle-
men. All the men have to do is to retrieve
the cartridges. which are re -used. Seeing
THE RURAL VOICE/OCTOBER 1979 PG. 7