Branding Day at local ranch

PLAINS - As the sun was still rising over John Holland’s ranch Saturday morning, friends, family and cattle hands were already congregating around the pens to discuss the upcoming days events. It was branding day at the ranch, and for years it has been a day of hard-work and the gathering of friends and family for fun.

One day earlier the herd was rounded up and driven into two pens, separating the calves from the rest of the herd.

At approximately 10:00 a.m. the work began. As many people watched or gave a hand when needed, the herd was systematically sent down a chute. “We vaccinated the cows. We gave them two vaccinations,” said Holland, describing the first job of sending the cows down the chute.

When the herd had been given their two vaccinations they were released into a main corral and left with two bails of hay. In an adjoining corral the calves were being held before they were taken out to be vaccinated and branded.

Propane heaters were lit and the branding rods were heated up. Once the brands were hot enough to leave their mark, the main and heaviest of the day’s jobs commenced.

Two cowboys rode their horses into the pen of calves and roped the calves by their hind legs and dragged them out of the pen. As the dry dirt was kicked up from a calf being pulled out into the corral, two volunteers would jump in and hold the calf down, one pinning the neck down and locking in a leg, while the other would hold the hind legs back and release the lasso from the hind legs. As the calf was pinned, it was branded and given two vaccinations. Smoke came off the spot where the calf was branded. It mixed with the dust and at points would wrap around the people pinning the calf. Once the process had been completed, the calf was released and allowed to calm down in the corral.

After the calves had all been branded and vaccinated, the large group of branding participants all stood in the corral and the post-work festivities began. People laughed and joked around. Some rode their horses around or showed off their roping skills. Holland’s wife, Dacy, had been inside the house preparing a large meal for everyone who came to help or watch. She prepared ham, roast beef, fruit salad, cheesy potatoes and meatballs for everyone to eat.

“Every year it’s like this,” Holland said, as he sat down at his dining room table to eat a large plate of food his wife had prepared. He described how every year it is a time for hard-work, but also a time for people to all come together to celebrate the branding and adding calves to the herd.