Hasbeen
Well-known member
.....I was enjoying my venture into the cattle business. My eight heifers were doing well, I had been reading all the advise I was seeing on this board and making plans, my cattle were gentle and easy to work. Night before last we had a minor flood and a section of fence washed away. Although it was in a remote section that the cows don't use this time of year, they still managed to find it and got out. Still no big problem, they didn't go far and I was able to lead them back in with the feed bucket. I repaired the fence and went on in to work.
Yesterday afternoon, I got a call that they were back out. I immediately left work and went to the farm and found an open gate right next to where I had repaired the fence. This gate had not been used since last summer and I remember looking to see that it was closed but did not go over to look at the chain that locks it because I had not opened it. I don't know if the cows forced it open or if someone had come thru and not latched it, but it seems ok now.
This time they were gone. I tracked them over a mile through the woods and swamp with thigh deep mud until I found them at farm were two older ladies keep a few head of dairy cows and the biggest Gernsey bull I've ever seen. I was able to round them up easily and with me and the bucket in front and my oldest son bring up the rear, had very little problem leading them back thru the woods to home. All but one. About a 1/4 mile into the trip she broke away and ran back. This surpised me because usually if I can get one going they all go. About this time I realized what was going on (of course she was in heat), but had to continue on with the other seven. I put them in the pasture and secured the gate and went back for the other. When we got there she was standing at the fence trying to woo that big old bull. When I approached she ran back into the woods. Realizing there was no way I was going to be able to walk her back, I called a friend who has trailer to come load her. When she didn't show for a while I hoped maybe she had given up and gone home. I instructed my son to wait for the trailer and I set off through the woods again. Soon after I started darkness settled in and not having a light with me I stumbled about with the briars tearing at my face and unable to pick my path, thru deep mud that sucked the boots right off my feet. Getting to the point, she doubled back and in the darkness no one saw her jump the fence and get with the bull until it was too late. Now, call me what you want, but I'm not going into a dark pasture and try to separate a scared heifer in heat from a ton bull that I've never seen before, so I talked to the owner and we just left her there for night. This evening my friend with the hauler will me there after he gets off work and we'll try it again. This morning I called in that I would be late and took another son to the farm with me to help stretch wire across the creek so the remaining cows cant get into the pasture that I had problems with. We finished around noon and I'm back to work for a couple of hours.
Now I have a bred hiefer pregnant with a calf that will be far too big for her to have. How was your day?
Yesterday afternoon, I got a call that they were back out. I immediately left work and went to the farm and found an open gate right next to where I had repaired the fence. This gate had not been used since last summer and I remember looking to see that it was closed but did not go over to look at the chain that locks it because I had not opened it. I don't know if the cows forced it open or if someone had come thru and not latched it, but it seems ok now.
This time they were gone. I tracked them over a mile through the woods and swamp with thigh deep mud until I found them at farm were two older ladies keep a few head of dairy cows and the biggest Gernsey bull I've ever seen. I was able to round them up easily and with me and the bucket in front and my oldest son bring up the rear, had very little problem leading them back thru the woods to home. All but one. About a 1/4 mile into the trip she broke away and ran back. This surpised me because usually if I can get one going they all go. About this time I realized what was going on (of course she was in heat), but had to continue on with the other seven. I put them in the pasture and secured the gate and went back for the other. When we got there she was standing at the fence trying to woo that big old bull. When I approached she ran back into the woods. Realizing there was no way I was going to be able to walk her back, I called a friend who has trailer to come load her. When she didn't show for a while I hoped maybe she had given up and gone home. I instructed my son to wait for the trailer and I set off through the woods again. Soon after I started darkness settled in and not having a light with me I stumbled about with the briars tearing at my face and unable to pick my path, thru deep mud that sucked the boots right off my feet. Getting to the point, she doubled back and in the darkness no one saw her jump the fence and get with the bull until it was too late. Now, call me what you want, but I'm not going into a dark pasture and try to separate a scared heifer in heat from a ton bull that I've never seen before, so I talked to the owner and we just left her there for night. This evening my friend with the hauler will me there after he gets off work and we'll try it again. This morning I called in that I would be late and took another son to the farm with me to help stretch wire across the creek so the remaining cows cant get into the pasture that I had problems with. We finished around noon and I'm back to work for a couple of hours.
Now I have a bred hiefer pregnant with a calf that will be far too big for her to have. How was your day?
