Some cow pics

[rockridgecattle]

I went out with hubby to visit the cows while he fed hay. I do not get much time to spend with them, with my other jobs. It was nice to be out with the herd. Here are some pics of the cows in the winter feeding area. They have about 6 acres where hubby has charged them with the task of fertilzing the small pasture. The get moved to another area next week

The dogs
Coco...she is a spitfire when it comes to working cows. Energy galore and will move them up to the pens on her own, on command. Coco is some Aussie shepard and border collie.

Pongo...he is more of a gentle no nonsense catttle dog. A bark at the open gate is enough to get the cows to stand back. Pretty old, about 10 years old. Has some health issues but still loves to work. He is Australian Shepard and German shepard cross.

 

[hillsdown]

Cows look great RR !!!!
Love the dogs

Thanks for sharing the pics ...

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I'm always so envious of places that can put their herd in a small area and the cattle don't turn it into a plowed field. We have to set aside areas that are winter sacrifice areas. "Generally", once real winter arrives, the ground gets frozen & stays put. But, we have to start feeding long before the ground ever gets frozen and they churn it up really bad. I don't have to worry about tripping over the POOP pile - it's all I can do to walk thru all the footprints & ruts, once the ground freezes. That's one of the reasons I love to have a foot of snow on the ground. Gives me and the cattle nice footing. Then, we get to look forward to the spring THAW :shock:
You would never know it was the same area in the summer. Grass comes back great & the areas become part of our normal rotational grazing areas.
BTW - pics are great - thanks for taking the time to share.

 

[randiliana]

Hey, RR, great pics. The cows look good and so do your dogs!!

What sort of workers are your dogs? Are they herders or are they chasers?

 

[3waycross]

Hey, RR, great pics. The cows look good and so do your dogs!!

What sort of workers are your dogs? Are they herders or are they chasers?

Randi, what do you call one that just likes to swing on cow's tails?

 

[rockridgecattle]

What sort of workers are your dogs? Are they herders or are they chasers?

Thanks for the kind words all,
Randi, the dogs each have a personality of their own and work cows their own way. I understand the question, but not sure how to answer.

Pongo the yellow dog is quieter and gentle. He walks behind the cows and barks if needed to. One bark is usually enough with him jumping forward a bit. I think that is his German Shepard coming out. In his youth, he did herd some. He would go and get that straggler when we were moving cattle. But when he guards a gate he makes sure the cows do not cross. Now that he is older he is more of a guard dog when working cattle. He still walks behind, but he is usually with one of us. He prefers the cows not to enter our space and tries to keep us safe.

Coco on the other hand is totaly different. She has a mind of her own and tries to exercise it as much as she is allowed even as a puppy. She knows her commands but sometimes she is as deaf as a post. She herds and she chases. We really have to be dillegent to keep her from not chasing to much. When we just wander through the cows she wants to group them up. So I have taken to carrying a leash when she gets too aggressive. When a cow is naughty and caught doing something wrong, like sneak into the hay yard, give her the command and she will send that cow back to the herd. But then, when we are working cows, bringing them in for vaccinating or moving them to different pastures, she knows her job well, and weaves back and forth keeping them together, getting the last one up. Where it took us 4-5 guys to move the cows from a small 2 acres paddock to the corralls, it now takes three and the dog does 90% of the work. We help her. She has been a definite assest but she has also been a definite a$$. Controlling her has been a challenge. Some days we think we are making head way and some days asking ourselves why oh why

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Stick with it - she will be worth her weight as she matures. We hava a blue heeler. He's 15 - he's the 3rd one we owned, so we've had a blue heeler for over 40 years. sometimes they make more work than save work in the beginning, but we love them.

 

[Jogeephus]

Good looking cattle and dogs. Thanks for sharing.

 

[randiliana]

That is pretty much the answer I was looking for. We are on the hunt for a new dog now, so I was wondering about how those crosses worked (at least in your experience). Sold all but 1 of our pups, and the one we kept got run over, and our other dog is about 7 so I am looking around a bit for another dog, while this one is still in working shape. Not in a big hurry, but I am looking. We've always run heelers, so I was wondering about the Aussies and Aussie crosses.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

there are some really good Aussies out there - but you've got to be picky. Most are strung too tight for me. I get exhausted just being around them. Heelers are pushers, but we've taught ours to go around them & bring them thru a gate - or guard a gate.

 

[Angus Cowman]

there are some really good Aussies out there - but you've got to be picky. Most are strung too tight for me. I get exhausted just being around them. Heelers are pushers, but we've taught ours to go around them & bring them thru a gate - or guard a gate.

I like the Aussies but I want them crossed with a GOOD border collie
the last good one I had was a 5/8 aussie and 3/8 BC
the Aussie part had the grit and determination and the border put a little more control on him

 

[randiliana]

That is more of what I was wondering about. I like the heelers, their instinct is to do what I know how to train them to do, push ;~>. Sadly I am not much of a dog trainer, I just don't have the patience to teach a dog to go against its instincts. The best cross I've worked with was Heeler/German Shepherd, a little bigger, and a bit more layed back.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

errr - lost my message - I'll try again.
Hubby does most of the training with a ball & frisbee. Teaches them to DOWN at a dead run. Teaches them to go right or left with arm pointing. They have the ability to "move cows", you just need to be in control. Heelers are a handfull. But, they want to please and we love them.