Bringing in the Mob

Branding is in full swing lots of cows and their calves to muster and bring to the yards for a bit of work. Each calf gets a brand, ear tags, ear mark and the boys lose there testicles, I have not taken any photos of this as it is not a nice job.

Bringing in the mob starts off with a very early start, three motorbikes, five dogs and 400 cows plus there calves. We ride around the paddock which is 5000 acres in size pushing the cows towards water which at times is easier said than done. Since most of the sheep have left our district the dingos have grown in numbers and are always putting pressure on our cows trying to get at there calf's so when we go to muster them with our work dogs they don't quite see the difference. We can have any where from 1- 10 cows at any one time  coming out of the mob to attack the dogs, it takes a pretty brave dog to keep working in this situation. The cows are then placed in our lane way which goes all the way to the cattle yards which can be a 12 km walk.
Once in the lane way it is lovely stroll until the cows decide it is time to stop, I have found there are two places in the lane which this happens both are where there is a water point. It can be very hard to convince 400 cows to start walking again this is where the dogs come in very handy. The following photos are of Nell, Lucy, Lass and Rusty helping me get the cows moving again.

This cow meant business

The dogs won

However she just needed reminding from Lucy

Lyster Lucy may be on the small side but that does not stop her, she has a big heart and will do anything to stop a cow.

Stand off between a cow and Rusty

Nell and Lucy just keeping an eye on things.

This is what I like to see when the cows stop the dogs stop.

Once the cows start walking nicely again it is time for the dogs to hope back on the bike for a well earned rest until the cows stop again. Walking the cows into the yards can take up to 5 hours in this time you have a lot of time to ponder on the happenings of the time or you sing silly songs to your self. While walking this mob in I got a funny kids song in my head but I changed a couple of words

The cows  go marching one by one.

Hoorah! Hoorah!
The cows  go marching one by one.
Hoorah! Hoorah!

The cows  go marching one by one;

The little one stops to suck his thumb,
And they all go marching down into the yards

To get away from the dogs.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Once reaching the yards they are drafted cows in one yard and calves in the other, neither cow or calf like this idea at all. Once branded the next day the calves are put back with there mums and are then walked back to there paddock.

Looking back towards the drafting pen

The calves waiting

Leaving there mums

She has such a soft eye

She looks cranky

The twins

You Looking at me

Team work

Well that's all folks hope you enjoyed it.

Last Post for 2011

I hope every one had a very Merry Christmas, time has gotten away on me and I didn't realise how long it has been since my last blog. We have been very busy with puppies, end of school, Christmas and branding, we have found some time to relax at the dam with the dogs.

I was asked not so long ago if our dogs are apart of the family and is this good for work dogs as she had been told that work dogs are work dogs and should not be played with!!!! My answer to this question was yes our work dogs are a part of our family and yes we do play with them I think a good work dog is a happy work dog, our dogs play a huge part in our lives and I have even been told by my 9 year old that I love the dogs more than them!!!!! Of course this in not true I love them the same. Over the hotter months when the house dam is well used for swimming and playing in our dogs are there with bells on and boy do they have fun either swimming, tubing,stalking, running or just watching what is happening.

Sweep loves the tube

Pearl loves to stalk

Jayde loves to sing

Lucy, Nell, Don & Lass love to stalk as well

Poor Chris has to watch from the bank after burning herself

Lucy has to keep an eye on all the happenings at the Dam

We have also had the privilege of exporting a pup this year to New Zealand, our little Rees/Bella boy pup has gone to live on the North Island . His two sisters have also left the mainland and are now living in Tasmania.

Bauers Reeson

Bauers Ruby

Bauers Molly

December has seen the start of branding with roughly 1500 little calves to brand we have started a little early this year. Mustering of the cows and calves is very hard on the dogs they have heat and very cranky cows to deal with,at times the poor dogs can have 5 or 6 cows trying to protect there calves. I haven't been able to get any good action shots yet of the dogs working we still have a few more paddocks to muster so hopefully I will get some then.

Jamie, Rusty & Lucy pushing the Angus cows along

Jayde our little Jillaroo

Cows and Calves

All the Black Cows

Don bringing the sheep to Jamie

Mist has surprised us with a very healthy litter of 8 puppies, this is our first litter along with Jamie Sturrock of our dogs we imported from Wales in 2010. We have 7 little girls and one lonely boy both Mist and her puppies are going great they are nearly 5 weeks old now and are all getting into mischief . Trying to get 8 little squirmy puppies to sit still while I take there photo is no easy mission they had myself and the girls laughing at there antics

Chris with her lap full of Puppies

Jayde with her lap full of Puppies

Wait for me girls

Puppies trying to escape!!!!!

Showing some style already.



As 2011 draws to a close and new year is about to begin I sit here thinking about what we have achieved with our dogs in the last 12 months and where we are heading in the future. I think the most important thing to remember when we have this wonderful breed of dog is to always try and improve on what you have, to enjoy your dogs and the people you meet.

Happy New Year 

Puppies, Training and Fires

Summer is well and truly on its way with thunderstorm brewing in the afternoon and the heat in the middle of the day but still no decent rain. Swimming season is in full swing with three afternoons a week at the pool and swimming carnivals on the weekend, this does not leave to much time for training dogs. I have been working on Nell extending her cast and getting her out on cattle when I can, she is coming along nicely. I have had two bitches out on maternity leave for a while now, Bella has had three puppies and Mist is due at the end of the month. Bella's pups are now three weeks old and are just starting to get around I love this stage of the puppies when they are just finding there feet and voice boxes, they are just starting to play with each other.

Bauers Rex

Bauers Ruby

Bauers Molly



Jamie was training his dogs and I couldn't help but take these photos of his young dogs quietly waiting for there turn. Don loves the camera and was very happy just to sit there while I was snapping away, Lass was very keen to get back out there and help.

Bauers Lass

Bauers Don

Craiglea Sid

Hopefully next time I will have photos of rain and green grass, it is a very worrying time of year for all rural people has any thunderstorm can result in a fire. Since September there has been around ten fires in our district, we where very lucky last month when a fire on neighbouring properties burnt about 30 000 acres, it jumped the fire break on our boundary, luckily Jamie was there with help put it out very quickly before the fire got to big. I went back to fire a couple of days later and took some photos and Liz (our neighbour) sent me the last two photos. It must be so very hard for the owners and mangers of properties who after so many years of drought and such a wonderful year last year to see all of the grass gone and just chard ground in its place.