Weaning & Weighing!

Last week my job in the pens was to sort off some calves push them down an alley (close the gate behind me) then push the calves up onto the scales and close the gate to the scales. Its best if you push the same number of calves onto the scales each time so the person doing the weighing doesn't have to keep changing the weights. Doing this job with two people and you can usually push ten calves up onto the scales with one person its a little harder - you've got to be careful. I don't think people realize how athletic cows are - they are fast, can turn on a dime and when they decide to go the other direction - its 550 lbs that is headed towards you. So, when its two calves turning back on you its over a 1000 lbs...you get the picture. You've got to run behind them, shake your paddle, make noise and push them - I usually pushed 6 calves at a time onto the scales. Now, this job will get you in shape -