solving water problems

The lack of wind to pump water for cattle this past summer helped make the decision to install solar power to submersible pumps as a more reliable power source in sunny western Nebraska.  This will hopefully bring more warm underground water into the tanks to reduce freezing of tanks this winter, which will allow the cattle to stay in the pastures that did not get utilized in the summer.  A problem developed after installation with the pump delivering too much water causing the well to pump dry.  Therefore we will drop off one solar panal so the pump won't pump quite so much.  Watch the blog for further developments.

health problems

The first group of calves to leave the ranch 6 weeks ago are now doing fine, eating well and playing because of their contentment of being fed well and water always handy.  However the second group just weaned 10 days ago are having serious respiratory disease problems, already 30 of the 177 have been medicated and 4 have died.  Hopefully the crisis is nearly over and the group will move forward.  This picture shows 2 sick ones in the foreground and 2 dead ones further away.  On the other side of the fence is the 158 head in group 1 happily crowding the bunk eating away.

drilling continues

The view from the house shows 3 drilling rigs lined up going SE from the lane in the south pastures.  This line of wells is up the heart of the ranch.  I thought they would just be drilling along the western edge of the ranch this go around.  The tire tracts, water ponds and holes are repaired when they are done, but it will still take years for nature to complete the repair.  Hopefully it will be worth our while eventually. 

Drilling again

Cameco is drilling 18 more exploratory wells in a canyon in the southwest corner of the ranch and 10 wells in one of the Dawes County pastures on the ranch so there must be something interesting 1000 feet below ground in those areas.  There are 3 rigs punching these holes operating at this time.  It takes a rig just one day to core to that depth to get the necessary samples for analysis.

Autumn colors

This vine in the trees was more luxurient and brighter a few days earlier, but I didn't have the camera at the ranch.  As the trees and grass obtain their fall colors there has been some great scenes.  This is at the river diversion below the buildings.  Finally the wind has started blowing and once again the tanks are full of water.  The past 10 weeks we have had no wind (can you believe that in Nebraska)and it has created tremendous problems keeping cattle watered in the upland pastures on the south part of the ranch.

Beaver have returned

  The Niobrara River through the Wohlers Ranch completely dried up because of our severe drought during the summer for 5 years between 2002 and 2009 resulting in the beaver all leaving.  The past 2 years there has been adequate rain and the river has continuously flowed.  This has been good news for the beaver and they have returned to the ranch.  We have identified 3 new beaver dams on the ranch this summer. 

animal species

I saw many species of animals in Tajikistan that I was to advise on how to make their husbandry more productive.  There were cattle, goats, sheep, donkeys and even this camel that shared the highway with pedistrians and automobiles.   We stopped our car to give this camel a drink of water.