Something Just Wasn't Right

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Winfield, KS
You know that creepy feeling you get when something just isn't right but you can't put your finger on it? Went down to the barn this morning to check the heifers (only 2 left to calve!) and I really wasn't paying that much attention but had a weird feeling, like someone was watching me. Walked around the barnyard & noticed all the empty protein tubs inside an old 3-sided shed had been knocked over, scattered everywhere, and one of the empty Versa Totes had been moved. Went inside to check it out, pick up the tubs, turned around to leave and there stood a big-azz bull, not 10 feet from me and definitely not one of ours. Had no idea I was capable of jumping so high & clearly terrified the bull because he jetted a stream of "processed" alfalfa & bolted, hiding between rows of bales. Recognized the brand & called the owner, who assured me he was docile & on his way. Good to know. Decided to continue checking things out; only then did I notice all the piles-o-poo & discovered he not only spent quality time grazing the uncut alfalfa, he ate an entire small bale (last year's cutting), a bucket of cubes & helped himself to one of the licks. Bad call! Owner came out, we got him loaded & he's now in a small corral so they can keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't bloat (his diet consists of prairie hay/native grass) and his next stop is the Sale Barn - they can't keep him in. Note to self: be aware of your surroundings!
 
One night my dad heard banging of drums outside.. it was pitch black out, and these were the days before LED flashlights... he walked towards the sound, an old burn pile, suddenly this HUGE black thing jump over the pile.. It was our Saler bull that escaped, and he had found the stash of 45 gallon fuel drums.. FULL, and was rolling them around and having a blast with them.. Sure made my dad jump!
 
Few years ago I had most frightening encounter in the cattle barn. Only this wasn't a bull......it was a huge freaking highland bull that escaped from the folks few miles away from my place. Ate the entire oats and ripped up the minerals before he went in a horse stall and I locked him up. Funny thing is there are no cattle around that time....
 
Our only bull surprise was waking up one Sunday morning to find a neighbor's Limousine bull in our "yard". By the looks of things, he'd been here most of the night. When I found him, he was at the fence, rubbing noses with our bull. I was amazed that there was no fighting going on. I got ahold of neighbor, he and the wife showed up with a truck and 4-wheeler and drove him back down the drive and up the road.

About a year or 2 later, one of his heifers showed up here too.
 
We had a couple bulls that would occasionally get into the barnyard & tear stuff up, mainly because all the cows were bred & they were bored. And we did have one that OD'd on the uncut alfalfa, had to tube him & there's nooooo smell like the smell of methane gas from a bull. What's sad in this situation is the bull is only 18 months old, very docile, great EPD's (and pricey) but just can't into the groove (too many open cows) & is a traveler. The only upside is that he jumps the fences as opposed to busting through. Tax write-off, lesson learned my neighbor.
 
What always amazed me is how quietly they can move had an old Brangus cow for years she was named baby. Ole Baby was a show heifer in the beginning so she just loved people,and was blacker than the ace of spades. Many is the time she would slip up behind me doing something and run her tongue up the back or your neck. That girl has caused some Olympic style events to take place.
You knew who it was and you not going to get eaten she could still scare the crap out of you every time.
 
Jogeephus":1gu3air1 said:
Amazing how you can defy gravity when you need to. Glad you are ok.

You mean like when you open the back door, coffee in hand and almost step right on top of one of those striped kitties. Talking about levitating.
 
This morning, after feeding I went back to fasten the barn lot gate, and got a little bit of a surprise. My two year old Angus bull had helped himself into the barn, I guess I left enough of an opening in the doors that he pushed his way on in.
 
Ky hills":2i8d5u3q said:
This morning, after feeding I went back to fasten the barn lot gate, and got a little bit of a surprise. My two year old Angus bull had helped himself into the barn, I guess I left enough of an opening in the doors that he pushed his way on in.
I think the best way to get cows where you want them is to make them think they're not allowed to get there. My barn has 12' sliding doors, and if I leave one opened just enough for one to get its head in, they'll all find their way in. If wanted them in there I'd never get them to go.
 
Muddy":1gbo60qx said:
Few years ago I had most frightening encounter in the cattle barn. Only this wasn't a bull......it was a huge freaking highland bull that escaped from the folks few miles away from my place. Ate the entire oats and ripped up the minerals before he went in a horse stall and I locked him up. Funny thing is there are no cattle around that time....

Had to look up pics of Highland bulls (since there aren't any in KS). That shaggy face would scare me any time, any where!

On a side note/switching topics, my little Mud Pie had an enormous bull calf this year - named him Muddy :)
 
I worked hard last Saturday and at 4:00 ;pm I went in and took a nap. My bride woke me up screaming that there were cows everywhere on our front porch, and in the yard. Slipped around the side of the hose and got the ATV out of the barn. When I got close to them I saw that they belonged to my neighbor a mile down the road. We had called him the day before to tell him that we saw a bit of his fence pushed down. He was on it or so he said. I rounded up all 8 of them and pushed them in a pasture I had empty. Turned around to head to the barn and number nine was snorting and pawing at me. Great big blond colored bull that was obviously p.o ed He charged the ATV 2 times and I grabbed a ax handle I keep for such occasions. After a half hour stand off, he decided he wanted to go in with his cows.
 

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