ranchers

• during the winter the cattle roamed freely and most ranchers did not employ many cowboys - they found other employment in the winter either in bars or doing small jobs from ranch to ranch
• cowboys that were employed in the winter months made repairs on the ranches and checked on the herd
• in early spring the cattle needed to rounded-up (round-up) - cowboys from a few ranches worked together under one round up boss - it could take a long while as some cattle's were hard to find in the dense bush, in gullies or in marshes
• once altogether the cowboys separated the herds according to ownership - cattle's were branded to show which ranch they belonged to and in spring calves were also branded
• it was hard work most cowboys were in their early 20's, older cowboys found jobs in towns or set up their own ranches
• a ranch hand would live with the ranchers and his family but in larger ranches there was a bunkhouse where all the cowboy's would live
• bunkhouses were ore comfortable then sleeping outside, although it would be cold and draughty in the winter
• cowboys had to abide by rules, eg Goodnight banned gambling - sometimes there were dances at local towns which would be a high point of the ranched social life
• tough job but easier then long drive
• on the plains
• difference between ranching on the pains vs ranching in Texas


  on the plains the winters were much worse - heavy snow meant that cattle couldn't reach the grass

  cowboys would have to ride out during blizzards to find the herds and to help the get out of snowdrifts

  the had to break ice at watering holes and find sheltered spots to help stay out of the winds

  on bigger ranches cowboys would stay in sod houses or cabins dotted round the perimeter of the ranch - lonely and cold