Wanna Be A Cowboy???

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

Here is someone who desparetely needs help.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/met...a.3fed6eb.html

[big rockpile]

Oh cry a frigged river.I worked on a Ranch when I was younger,long hours very low pay.I did like the work though.

Problem with this place she is not wanting to pay enough wages.And she will never be happy with anyone that isn't Illegal Scum.
big rockpile

[mixtapesyndicat]

Originally Posted by big rockpile

Oh cry a frigged river.I worked on a Ranch when I was younger,long hours very low pay.I did like the work though.

Problem with this place she is not wanting to pay enough wages.And she will never be happy with anyone that isn't Illegal Scum.
big rockpile

Most of the times I agree with you. Not saying that I don't agree with all that your saying, but the only reason I feel sorry for her is that her husband died at such a young age. I understand why she won't leave.

Your right though, I wouldn't go down there and work for what these illegals are working for.

I've never worked in the cattle industry so I'm not even sure what a fair wage is for a position doing that kind of work, but I know what it would take me to leave what i'm doing now. I don't think a rancher would pay that kind of money (only about $12.00 an hour, and a place to stay i.e. bunk house/cottage of some kind)

[big rockpile]

Well I know it was years ago.Wages for Farm work back then was $1.75 an hour.The Ranch I worked for paid $10 a day.They had Bunk House,let you have a Horse and if needed you could usually find a Pickup to use.

You went to work usually at 4AM,but have been known to start 2AM.,worked until 6 or 7PM.Worked 5 1/2 days a week.

I've had much worse Farm Jobs.But I don't care if she lost her husband its still no excuse to hire Illegals.I know I talked with a Rancher in Colorado he said he couldn't make ends meet if it wasn't for BLM Land and Illegals.

big rockpile

[chewie]

we just stopped doing ranching in january, after 12 years of it. the hours aren't long, they simply never end at all. the work can be very hard, never ending, hot, cold, wet, dusty and tiring. the pay is hard for me to discuss tho.--we've been at poverty level for some time, but yet, i felt very well off--instead of us both heading into a town to work, we headed out together on horseback, or in a pickup. i seen sunrises that would about make you cry, and the freedom of open space is something so wonderful its hard to say. our paycheck was almost a joke but yet we have some great horses, raised our kids ourselves instead of shiping them to babysitters, and eat some of the best beef possible, plus our own milk.

if i felt like running off for the weekend, fine, he was home for the kids. if he felt like going to a roping, super, i'm home to take care of stuff. you can't buy that stuff, and altho my car looks like something a high schooler wouldn't be caught dead in, the older i get the less those fancier material things matter to me. we're happy, and have all we consider valuable.

but, we did get paid in rent, utilities, horse feed, beef, plus wages, enough to make a good living if you added it all up. and if this gal would offer that, there are still plenty of ppl willing to do that work, b/c of all the 'benefits'. and btw, ranching doesn't pay by the hour, its by the month--one paycheck per month, flat rate no matter how much effort it took that month. some months you loose, some months the ranch pays you for sitting in the house or going to ropings. it all washes up even, and the lifestyle is a nice ride. and illegal is illegal, i am sorry for those ppl that their homelands aren't working for them, but i often wonder why did they have so many kids then??? and if this gal only rents, rent in mexico, get her cheap workers there!

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

And I thought that bunches of ya'll were wiling to learn on the job and would rush down to help her. Silly me - fortunately I don't know her and I won't be expecting a phone call to come and help - got plenty to do here.

[ErinP]

Originally Posted by chewie

btw, ranching doesn't pay by the hour, its by the month--one paycheck per month, flat rate no matter how much effort it took that month. some months you loose, some months the ranch pays you for sitting in the house or going to ropings. it all washes up even, and the lifestyle is a nice ride.

I agree with almost everything you've said, chewie. (I've been a cowboy's wife for 11 years) But I did want to mention we've had several jobs over the years where we (he) got paid bi-weekly. And we've been on a number of ranches that had hourly guys. They didn't have house/utilities of course, but they did the same work.

Otherwise I agree completely. The hours are long. The pay is lousy. The benefits can't be beat. But to be sure, there are fewer and fewer folks every year willing to go work on someone's ranch...

From the article: “I'm so burnt out on people who come to work and don't know ranching,” she said. “You have people who come out here and want to be a cowboy. But it's so desolate they don't last, and anyhow, most of what I do is checking water lines.”

I can easily believe that she has trouble hiring/keeping people. We've lived on a couple of ranches that were pretty desolate and you can always tell the guys that aren't going to last...

Not to mention, those who are on fire to be a cowboy and don't have a clue that a lot of what a cowboy does isn't on a horse. (though I will say, we haven't gotten too far from cowboyin' around here. Our 4wheeler is for bringing in the horses. lol)

[TedH71]

They don't pay well. $500 a month for a sheepherder. $800-$1000 a month for a cowboy. $1,500 a month for an experienced foreman. Now you see why Americans don't want to work for poverty wages. Those are listed on the Texas Workforce job openings!

[mixtapesyndicat]

Originally Posted by TedH71

They don't pay well. $500 a month for a sheepherder. $800-$1000 a month for a cowboy. $1,500 a month for an experienced foreman. Now you see why Americans don't want to work for poverty wages. Those are listed on the Texas Workforce job openings!

Wow. What is the economy like in those places!? $1000 a month would barely cover rent here. Maybe I just don't understand. I'm only 23 and have never worked on a producing ranch or farm. I've worked in customer service, sales, and just graduated EMT school with plans on going to RN school. I would like to do a job like this, but how do people live on those wages? I thought that cattle and the beef industry was big money?

[chewie]

Originally Posted by ErinP

I agree with almost everything you've said, chewie. (I've been a cowboy's wife for 11 years) But I did want to mention we've had several jobs over the years where we (he) got paid bi-weekly. And we've been on a number of ranches that had hourly guys. They didn't have house/utilities of course, but they did the same work.

Otherwise I agree completely. The hours are long. The pay is lousy. The benefits can't be beat. But to be sure, there are fewer and fewer folks every year willing to go work on someone's ranch...

From the article: “I'm so burnt out on people who come to work and don't know ranching,” she said. “You have people who come out here and want to be a cowboy. But it's so desolate they don't last, and anyhow, most of what I do is checking water lines.”

I can easily believe that she has trouble hiring/keeping people. We've lived on a couple of ranches that were pretty desolate and you can always tell the guys that aren't going to last...

Not to mention, those who are on fire to be a cowboy and don't have a clue that a lot of what a cowboy does isn't on a horse. (though I will say, we haven't gotten too far from cowboyin' around here. Our 4wheeler is for bringing in the horses. lol)

i am guessing you and i aren't far apart in location nor lifestyle! and yup, i could spot a wife of new hands that would be gone in a month or so. they do their hair! hahah! we also do plenty of horseback cowboying here, but there is also fencing, hay, and other tasks not really very fun, and if you're working for poverty wages, ppl don't last. and yup again, the benefits are fantastic!!

we are only leaving this lifestyle b/c it does not leave room for much of your own gain--we have gained some cattle, but as for a place of your own, you could work your whole life and still only have a trailer load of cattle of your own, meanwhile you're broke down physically, and no money ahead either, nor a place to live out your golden years. we decided we needed to move onto things for US, not making someone else's pockets full. but there is alot that i'm already missing, and we've not even moved yet.

[ErinP]

I know exactly what you mean.
We don't have any cattle, but we recently spent out life's savings on 40 acres of KS pasture about 20 miles south of where we currently live. The plan is to build a house.
Where we've been in the area for about 5 years, DH has made a fairly good name for himself, so we're hoping he'll hang onto his current job as long as possible (mgr for an out of state owner). But after that, day work around the area.

My parents don't get it. They think we're nuts for paying to build our own home when we could continue to live in this house for nothin'.
My inlaws, on the other hand, are thrilled. A ranch hand most of his life, FIL is so happy for us to have some land, even if it is only 40 acres. He and DH's mom recently bought their first real house. A singlewide in a trailerpark in Blackhawk, SD...

BTW, so far as location, we've both spent most of our lives in Nebraska in various locations, but DH was born up near Hereford, SD and we lived on a ranch on Standing Rock for several years, too. You know cowboys and their itchy foot...

[TedH71]

Well, most of those jobs are in West Texas where water is scarce and cost of land is extremely low. You can buy one acre for maybe less than $200...keep in mind, you'll maybe need 30-40 acres to feed ONE single cow! So ranches are really huge in those areas.

I've talked to Floridans...I keep telling them $600 a month for a small rental apt is really stupid when you can pay less than that for a 3 bdrm house here in Wichita, KS. Lol!