one would think i was a newbie....

[rockridgecattle]

...or a cluck minus some much needed brain cells.
Woke up this morning with the best of intentions. Had been reminding my husband that i wanted to pull out the last of the bulls by the end of August.
So today was the end of August. Last week we had them home but they were with a few cows. One got the bright idea of taking off and mixing with the main herd accross the rail tracks. (No trackes there now.) Travelled 1.5 miles around the perimeter of the quarter along a major road trying to find away in and hopped the fence to the Ladies.
So today was the day in my mind at all costs. The lost bull was at the end of the quarter furthest from the gate. I called the cows and the huband checked the Q for strays. Brougt them home, but not before husband took off to take the other animals to a pen at home (they were on the home Q because they were culls and the other bulls on the farm who were good).
Husband was on the 4 wheeler moving the culls to a pen and i waited for what seemed like forever. So i openned the gate and let the cows come home.

Now in previous cattle moves we had two way radios. But i lost mine again. Third time a charm because it is gone... but this is another good story.

Any how, the culls i guess had not made it all the way home and some got mixed in with the main herd. Husband was understanding. some comment about radios being handy but other than that OK

So we got the bulls in. One cow, Char/holstien cross was in heat. Got bred and the bulls got put away. the husband says " we should get her away from this paddock. the bulls could jump the fence" My response was why, they did there job. I guess cause i got a year older today i must have lost a few brain cells. it would have been smart.
Not ten miutes later two bulls were having fun on the wrong side of the fence with the fence broken...Can we say OOPPPS. Huband was very patient and understanding. Anyways what was to take 1/2 hour turned into a 5 hour job, two posts and some wire and hay for good measure. Husband was very understanding and kind.

I have a good man

By the way the bulls are in and most of the culls are in with their calves. the others can wait untill weaning.

 

[Rod]

We all have our moments !

 

[msscamp]

Don't you just hate it when your brain goes south at the wrong time, and leaves no forwarding address? :lol: As Rod said, we've all had our moments! ;-)

 

[grubbie]

It's usually the other way here. I grew up working cattle, my wife was a city girl. I was trying to get a crippled bull down from the hills (we move cattle with motorcycles and four wheelers). He suddenly became un-crippled every time I came around and came after me. After losing my temper several times and swearing I could get him out of there feet first if need be, the wife kept chanting, " leave him behind, I will get him later." When I finally figured out that my temper was keeping me from making any progress, I let him be. I went to work the next night (nightshift) and got a call from the wife saying she brought him in (2 miles or so) by herself. I am learning to listen to her but my "experience" sometimes over rides my (or her) common sense. He was easy to get into the trailer though, had the man door open in the front and had him chase me in while I ran out the front.

 

[dieselbeef]

dont all of em turn into 5 hr jobs...never gets any easier...just different doin the same thing

 

[ALX.]

I was baling the last of my alfalfa yesterday and when I was done I pulled up to the gate to go through the barnyard. The cattle are yarded right now to go through first round of vaccs on Thursday. They have been on droughted pasture up until now.

I open the gate and get through as the cattle come trotting toward me smelling that wagon load of alfalfa. So I stop the tractor once I thought I was through the gate and run back to close the gate.( There is no perimeter fence in the field I just pulled out of ).

You guessed it - I hadn't pulled in far enough, the gate won't clear the back of the wagon by a foot.

What ensues is an hour long game of dare and negotiations. Any of you who have pulled a rack behind a thrower baler know it is a LONG way up to the tractor. Any time I go to move the tractor 40+ hungry, and might I add disobedient, cattle head for the open gate.

15 bales of sweet hay tossed well enough away from the wagon to distract them, was the price they finally accepted and they decided to let me go. :lol:

I kept my temper through most of it, and smiled often saying - Boy you got a LOT to learn yet. :lol:

 

[rockridgecattle]

boy, I'm sure glad it's not only my brain that "heads south with no forwarding address" quite often really.
there are days that you wish you weren't here but then there are days where the funny stories make up for the brain dead moves. thank you for showing that i'm not alone in these endeavors. I knew i wasn't but the reassurance was cool.
And hopefully you go a good laugh too!

 

[ALX.]

And hopefully you go a good laugh too!

It's what keeps me going, finding a laugh or a moment of satisfaction or fullfillment amongst all the bad stuff that can pile up.

But we can't ever forget to try and keep "tuned in" working around machines or cattle. PTO's or bulls, or chainsaws, augers, or mills will rarely give you a second chance at a brain phart without extracting a penalty.

Just thought I'd add that "bummer" to the thread. :lol:

 

[msscamp]

boy, I'm sure glad it's not only my brain that "heads south with no forwarding address" quite often really.

Not by a long shot! :lol: :lol: The spring before last, we were moving a heifer/calf pair from the calving shed back to the main herd and, for whatever reason, Dad decided to only shut one gate across the alleyway. You guessed it - the heifer ducked through the open gate and took off for the alfalfa field that just happens to be right next to the corrals. We got her and her calf rounded up with a minimum of trouble, but I finally got to ask him what in the h#$% he was thinking instead of the other way around!

thank you for showing that i'm not alone in these endeavors. I knew i wasn't but the reassurance was cool.

 

[ArrowHBrand]

It's a great day on our place when we set out to do something and everything goes right! My wife tells me stories about when she was a girl and would ride out to check to cattle and "lose or drop" her 2 way radio. Then hours later find it. She says she used to get chewed out every time. Looking back it was probably dangerous she didn't have it in case she got bucked off, but that's not how kids think.