HELPING THE MARTINELLS AI THEIR HEIFERS OVER IN DELL, MT

We traveled over to the Martinell ranch and helped them artificially inseminate their yearling heifers.  We also picked up Connie's horse Peg who got a little work over there during calving season.  All the Martinell kids were there with their kids so it was really nice to see all of them.  What a great family.   Our trip did not start out on a very good note though.  Our trusty old pickup had the vacuum pump go out so the serpentine belt broke leaving us with no power steering, no power assist brakes, and an engine that was going to overheat.  So we called our nephew at S & S  Auto and he sent his wrecker crew and his pickup so we could take our horse trailer home while the pickup got fixed.  Was able to get our mechanic to fix the truck, and we were back on the road 5 hours after we broke down.  Pretty good.

The efficient wrecker crew at S & S Auto getting our truck hooked up.

Starting the AI at a very early 0630 in the morning.  It was a cool start to the day but warmed up quickly.

Carlen and some of the grandkids bringing us a little coffee and brownies for a mid morning pickup.

Kristen's husband Ryan working the controls of the squeeze chute.

Allen bringing the second bunch of heifers into the corrals.

Could not resist taking a picture of one of the last lambs that were born this year.

The best kids horse ever - Sunday waiting to take Taryn on a ride.

The inside of the horse barn.

Taryn taking Sunday over to the fence to get on.

Riders getting ready to go out and check some cows.

Macy, Taryn, and Calen Martinell.

Sometimes a calf dies and it's mother is a nice young cow and if there is an old cow that is a cull with a calf, that calf is grafted on the young cow.  This is done by skinning the dead calf and putting it's hide on the other calf.  Then the young cow is put in with the live calf which has the dead calf's hide on it.  The pictures below depict getting the hide on the live calf.  

The calf is first put in a pen and roped.

The rope is slid through a hole cut in the neck of the hide and slipped down over the calf's head.

The legs are put through slits cut in the side of the hide.

Rowen watching his grandfather Allen and uncle Heath get the hide on the calf.

Putting the last leg thru the slit.

This is the finished product.

Ryan, Rowen, Kristen, and Connie watching the proceedings.

Kristen and her son Rowen.

One of the barn cats.

 I am putting down some oats so I can catch Peg to bring her home.