HOW REAL AC COWBOYS FEED COWS

 Ok guys got real real busy this past summer. Most of our neighboring county, (Lake) burned to the ground with a lot of devastation. We spent a lot of time on wildfires with our dozer,but not close to home. Had no time to post any to the AC forum, and almost no time to even monitor. We have finally had our first rains in N.Calif. and it's almost like time stood still for a couple of days.  Sooo that being said it looks like you guys are slakin for pictures and stories on the forum.

 We have a small cow calf operation besides all are other day jobs.(AC tractor collecting) We put are pairs on permanent pasture in the early summer  and put them back on our rangeland end of October to mid November. We wean the calves at the time we move them back. We supplement with hay from September till we put them back on the range. We like to wait till we have had rain to start the grass on the rangeland. So this California drought is not helpful.

 So it's pretty simple to feed these cows off the flatbed until it rains. It's been a while since I had to use the 745 to feed with.
It's not a lot of hay, only 6 bales at this time. Hooch monitors all my moves and thinks everything is ok.
It's just a short drive from the main yard, but you have to cross the river on a bridge I built 20 years ago (not for big loaders) Hooch doesn't trust me and he baled off.
So there's an intermediate stop to feed these 2 little guys you see here.
Yes,there bummer calves, they both lost there moms earlier. They both get a bottle at night and there both into alfalfa hay now.They'll be done with bottles next week (but they don't know it yet)
I hope this video link works ok. There's a learning curve to this video thing. If I can get it to work I will have more to put up. ( and yes, I would be happy to hear from any one who can help explain how it should be done).

http://vid966.photobucket.com/albums/ae147/doowder1/cow%20feedind%20745/My%20Movie_zpsfueizp75.mp4

We have a separate feed bunker for the calves that the cows can't get into. It's always worked well if I just wave a Coors Light at them,they usually come right in.

 So this is just a normal event in the life of an AC cowboy (The 745 bucket is big enough to stand in,so that makes it very user friendly )

That's how a real man gets it done!!!!

Vid was just fine.  You needs to get a round baler, that loader would handle 3 of my little hesston 5530 bales, prolly...

Ok guys, thanks for the great comments. It looks like the video thing is working ok, I tried to make this one a little bigger, but I see with full size screen it still seems to be ok. I think we still have videos of the 21B working that I can post up. This one (if it works has some commentary with it.

http://vid966.photobucket.com/albums/ae147/doowder1/cow%20feedind%20745/u%20tube%20size_zpscavcjsl2.mp4

So Dave,we actually still bale with a 2 wire baler. I've always stayed with it so my wife and kids (now grandkids)could haul hay and feed cows. These big 3 twine bales of alfalfa are what was available and limits the feeding capability though.(not a problem). It makes "HAPPY COWS"

Pastor Mike, When we were growing up our father always had both Angus and Hereford which always gave us the black baldie cross, still one of the most popular crosses. We just really like the disposition of the Hereford stock and over the years have migrated back that way. Some years ago after a family discussion about loosing 5 to 10 cents a pound, because they weren't black or black and white we thought we would still stay with Polled Hereford bulls mostly. I can wade into a pen of 50 mother Herefords and almost tell them apart by different marks (I call them water marks) I just can't do that with 50 Angus cows.(but we like Angus cows too). But with the wild ride that the beef prices have had for the last several years that whole color blind thing disappeared and the prices are all the same all of a sudden, so that has worked out ok.

"Pastor Mike, When we were growing up our father always had both Angus and Hereford which always gave us the black baldie cross, still one of the most popular crosses. We just really like the disposition of the Hereford stock and over the years have migrated back that way. Some years ago after a family discussion about loosing 5 to 10 cents a pound, because they weren't black or black and white we thought we would still stay with Polled Hereford bulls mostly. I can wade into a pen of 50 mother Herefords and almost tell them apart by different marks (I call them water marks) I just can't do that with 50 Angus cows.(but we like Angus cows too). But with the wild ride that the beef prices have had for the last several years that whole color blind thing disappeared and the prices are all the same all of a sudden, so that has worked out ok."

I grew up with Herefords and know what you mean!
Pastor Mike

Git 'er done.

Mel, thanks for sharing photos & video. The AC 745 sounds good in video. What engine does it have - 301 or 426??

Friend raised them angus for a short time , said he could not keep them on the side of the fence they belonged on - always out or trying to take down the wire he had . 

Darrel, Where you been? Been waiting for you to come up on the screen here. You probably got enough snow and cold to put you back in the barn to work on that 5. Also you were going to post us some pictures, so don't forget that. We don't have to use the 745 very often, but the bucket has to be on it because our day job may require us to load gravel or dirt at any time.

AC7060IL, The engine in the 745 is a standard 11000 series AC engine. It's used in quite a few different AC applications.