Went to the local cattle sale yesterday.....prices seemed up from last year. Wasn't just the black hided ones either. Managed to buy 4. A 700lb young angus bull for 1.03 a pound. A 535 lb angus heifer for 1.09 a pound. A 405 lb Charlois heifer for 1.06 a pound. And a 450 pound red steer for 1.16 a pound. I saw some 400+ lb steers go for 1.45 a pound! As usual, my timing is off....If I would have kept everything from last fall, and sold 'em all yesterday, I'd be rich by now!
But I digress....got them home, backed the trailer up to the chute....put the pour on on them (my personal trick....climb on the top of the trailer and pour it on them even before unloading!) All went well...watched them for 30 minutes or so....all smelling noses with the existing cows through the gate and fence....checked the boundaries of the holding pen. All seemed well. Until I went to the house for a drink of water. 15 minutes later, came out and the little bull was not to be seen! No holes in the fence, nothing. Like he was abducted by aliens! Got the 4 wheeler out, and checked the whole place. Nothing. All fences A-OK. Started out heading down the road checking with neighbors...basically an all points bulliten was issued with his name on it! Finally pulled in this one driveway, and one guy there, says yeah, I saw one not 15 minutes ago up by the store. Dang! Seems the little devil was reincarnated from a famous pole vaulter! Little 700 lb angus jumped a 5 ft tall fence, then got in the county road, went half a mile, turned onto US 70, and proceeded to go a couple miles before being spotted! He crossed two bridges over creeks too! I saw him turning into someones yard that had horses. I whipped in there, turned him toward an open gate, and closed it behind him. Went home, got the trailer again, and came back. Three of us headed him toward the trailer. He decided it would be in his best interest to just ram the board fence, and take off through the clear cut next door! The next sign of him was hoof prints in the dirt road where he crossed another half mile away. Then darkness hit, and I decided maybe both of us would calm down if the hunt was called off for the night. First thing at work this morning, I get a call....neighbor with 300 red limos has a little black bull with a sale barn sticker on him in his field! This is 1.5 miles from where he was seen last! He can stay there until I electify his new home! Guess what I'll be doing this weekend! I can hardly wait! I haven't had one get that far from home in 35 years! I remembered why I spent so much time building what I thought were good fences....I hate chasing cows!!!!!!
But I digress....got them home, backed the trailer up to the chute....put the pour on on them (my personal trick....climb on the top of the trailer and pour it on them even before unloading!) All went well...watched them for 30 minutes or so....all smelling noses with the existing cows through the gate and fence....checked the boundaries of the holding pen. All seemed well. Until I went to the house for a drink of water. 15 minutes later, came out and the little bull was not to be seen! No holes in the fence, nothing. Like he was abducted by aliens! Got the 4 wheeler out, and checked the whole place. Nothing. All fences A-OK. Started out heading down the road checking with neighbors...basically an all points bulliten was issued with his name on it! Finally pulled in this one driveway, and one guy there, says yeah, I saw one not 15 minutes ago up by the store. Dang! Seems the little devil was reincarnated from a famous pole vaulter! Little 700 lb angus jumped a 5 ft tall fence, then got in the county road, went half a mile, turned onto US 70, and proceeded to go a couple miles before being spotted! He crossed two bridges over creeks too! I saw him turning into someones yard that had horses. I whipped in there, turned him toward an open gate, and closed it behind him. Went home, got the trailer again, and came back. Three of us headed him toward the trailer. He decided it would be in his best interest to just ram the board fence, and take off through the clear cut next door! The next sign of him was hoof prints in the dirt road where he crossed another half mile away. Then darkness hit, and I decided maybe both of us would calm down if the hunt was called off for the night. First thing at work this morning, I get a call....neighbor with 300 red limos has a little black bull with a sale barn sticker on him in his field! This is 1.5 miles from where he was seen last! He can stay there until I electify his new home! Guess what I'll be doing this weekend! I can hardly wait! I haven't had one get that far from home in 35 years! I remembered why I spent so much time building what I thought were good fences....I hate chasing cows!!!!!!
