Working Ranches

Working ranches can look very different from one another. Some raise cattle, sheep or goats for meat or breeding stock. Others put up hay, grow crops or combine livestock with farming.

There’s always something around the ranch that needs doing. The hay is ready to cut, the calves are big enough to be weaned, heifers need sorting, and the bull with pinkeye needs doctoring. Yesterday, a tree came down on the fence, the squeeze needs greasing, the chute could use welding, mineral tubs haven’t been put out yet, and a new box of ear tags just arrived.

"Have you seen the fencing pliers?" Check the milk crate bungeed to the ATV. There's got to be two or three in there somewhere.

But first you need to have water. It has to reach a lot more than the barn, or the house for that matter. Depending on the ranch and where it’s located, water might come from a well, natural spring, creek, stock pond or irrigation system. Windmills and solar pumps can move water to storage tanks and troughs where livestock need it.

On a large ranch, that could mean water spread across a lot of country. Automatic waterers and remote tank monitors can help, but somebody still needs to make sure the water is actually there. A broken pipe, dry trough or pump that quits working can become everybody’s problem pretty quickly.

Horses can have a real job on a working ranch. They may be used to gather and sort cattle, check fence lines, move livestock through rough country or help during a branding. Where they’re kept might be practical too, with corrals, pens, shelters and a place to saddle up close to where the day begins.

But ranch horses aren't always on the clock. Roping, barrel racing, drill team, ranch horse competitions and trail riding can all be part of the lifestyle. Saddled horses might load into a stock trailer for a day of ranch work, a local rodeo or something the whole family has been looking forward to.

Where the ranch is located can change how it operates from one season to the next. Gravel roads wash out, snow drifts across entrances, creek crossings rise, and a dry wash or arroyo might suddenly have other plans out of nowhere.  That flash flood likes to show up uninvited and stay as long as it pleases.  Getting livestock, hay, equipment and deliveries in and out can depend on the weather as much as the road itself.

Then there’s whatever else you’re trying to get done. The hay is finally down. The weather app says sunshine. The Farmer’s Almanac says rain. Your knee says a storm is coming. Worry anyway. 

There’s usually something that needs to be driven, fueled, charged, fixed or moved. Tractors and implements, UTVs, stock trailers, flatbeds and generators all have their place. Heading into town? Don’t be tempted to fill up from the ranch fuel tank. There’s a reason that diesel is red. Do you really want to chance it? 

And ranching can be surprisingly high-tech. Drones can help check livestock or cover distant ground, remote cameras and water monitors keep an eye on things, and solar pumps can work far from the nearest power source. Then there’s the trusty walkie-talkie when cell service disappears. “You behind the bluff?” “Yep.” “Copy that.” 

Some ranches have stayed in the same family for generations, with traditions and knowledge passed down right along with the land. How the ranch got its name may depend on who you ask, but the original branding iron is still hanging in the barn.  Kids grow up helping with chores, feeding livestock and being repeatedly told to close the gate and shut the door. Everybody pitches in. The Border Collie is still in work mode even though the sheep are exactly where they should be. Meanwhile, the Anatolian Shepherd has been saving his energy for the night shift. Your neighbors might live miles away and still be the first ones to show up when an extra set of hands is needed.

And when the work is done, there’s plenty of room for fun. Take the UTV to the fishing hole, shoot some targets on your range, watch the wildlife or count the stars at night.