World's stupidest cows

[Dave]

I have a bunch of good cows. Bought right. They will make me money. But they have to be the stupidest bovines in the entire world. We ran the entire bunch into the corral yesterday afternoon. Sorted off 5 fall pairs and a steer of B's who got missed in the gather a month ago. The other 43 head needed to go to a different pasture. The water in the irrigation ditch had been shut off on Friday so they had no source of water. So out the driveway, across the river bridge they go. Except they all stopped at the bridge. Pushed as hard as we could. To the point we were worried they would tear down the fence on either side. Took the feed truck to lead them across. Had cows eating hay on the back of the truck, until we got to the bridge. Tried laying a line of hay down the middle of the bridge. Nope not going. So we kicked them back in the no water field. There is a river crossing. I opened the gate. No cows went to water over the night. So I fed hay right next to the river on the other side at the crossing this morning. They all stood there and looked at me. The river is down. Only about 12-14 inches of water. I could drive my quad across easily. There is cow trails on both banks. Too rough for the feed truck but easy for a cow. I went out and checked at noon. 2 cows had crossed. The rest are still laying on the wrong side. Oh well their bellies will eventually take control of their mind. Tomorrow morning hay will go out on the other side of the river.

 

[CowboyRam]

Dad talks about when he was riding the Sweetwater they would have to move cows across a swinging bridge. They would work the bridge for awhile, and then across the river for awhile. At some point that bridge would be bouncing so bad the cows would not cross. They usually had to rope and pull the last of the cows across the Sweetwater river.

 

[Nesikep]

View attachment 366996961_6430644277013926_8050621617241177542_n.mp4

 

[GoWyo]

I have a bunch of good cows. Bought right. They will make me money. But they have to be the stupidest bovines in the entire world. We ran the entire bunch into the corral yesterday afternoon. Sorted off 5 fall pairs and a steer of B's who got missed in the gather a month ago. The other 43 head needed to go to a different pasture. The water in the irrigation ditch had been shut off on Friday so they had no source of water. So out the driveway, across the river bridge they go. Except they all stopped at the bridge. Pushed as hard as we could. To the point we were worried they would tear down the fence on either side. Took the feed truck to lead them across. Had cows eating hay on the back of the truck, until we got to the bridge. Tried laying a line of hay down the middle of the bridge. Nope not going. So we kicked them back in the no water field. There is a river crossing. I opened the gate. No cows went to water over the night. So I fed hay right next to the river on the other side at the crossing this morning. They all stood there and looked at me. The river is down. Only about 12-14 inches of water. I could drive my quad across easily. There is cow trails on both banks. Too rough for the feed truck but easy for a cow. I went out and checked at noon. 2 cows had crossed. The rest are still laying on the wrong side. Oh well their bellies will eventually take control of their mind. Tomorrow morning hay will go out on the other side of the river.

I have a 35' bridge across the creek. Any new cows won't usually cross it. Calves that grew up here are fine, but every once in a while we have a little problem. I have a little trap on one side and had a bred heifer spend 2 days with no feed or water til she decided maybe she could cross it after all.

 

[Dave]

At noon I had 2 walk across the river. At 1:00 I went to town. There was only one left there. The other had gone back. Got home at 3:00 and they had both gone back. They are spread out picking on what has already been picked over. The heck with the bridge. One would think that water less than knee deep 25 feet wide with a nice gravel bottom wouldn't stop a full grown cow. Maybe they are desert cows and not use to seeing this much water.

 

[Dave]

I took the camera with this morning. One of the cows who came around yesterday marched right across but did it before the rest showed up to follow her.
First picture the river crossing
Second pic Stupid cows looking at me from the other side.
Third pic. Success they came across. Or so I thought
Fourth pic. I waited a good half hour and went to shut the gate. I found 6 hold outs working on keeping their stupid cow title.
Cows are the stupidest animal in the world. But it is amazing how often they out smart cowboys.

 

[4hfarms]

Having trust issues here too. Can't get one or two to the gate 25yds away from them if they see food or another cow through the fence in the next field. I guess I know who goes to the cooler in mid Jan.

 

[Dave]

I guess I know who goes to the cooler in mid Jan.

None of them they are all bred cows who will calf in February or March. Eventually hunger will take over. If I get tired of this game we can run them into the corral, load into a trailer, and haul their stupid rears across the bridge. They have no idea who they are messing with. That or one of the local cowboys will come rope them and drag them across the river. One of the advantages of living in a community where all the people are full time ranchers. Everyone has lots of experience dealing with stupid cattle.

 

[CowboyRam]

There is a reason we eat them.

 

[Josher]

This is a good story keep us posted what happens next.
Reminded me of a herd not too far from me. A friend of mine who I always thought of as fairly mild mannered fellow was trying to move there cows across the creek. They were pushing the cow herd across a shallow river crossing. It was a bit of an alley but they just wouldn't go. He ended up braking his toe kicking a cow that tried turning on them. They tried almost everything. Finally they used electric fence and eased it towards them until they had no choice but to cross the river. It all ended well besides having to walk around with a big boot for a couple months after that

 

[Rancher]

My cattle are all trained to fear the white polytwine electric fence. The wife and I crowd them with about a 40ft piece of the twine between us, sure nuff they will get where we want them tis way...wet or otherwise

 

[Dave]

My cattle are all trained to fear the white polytwine electric fence. The wife and I crowd them with about a 40ft piece of the twine between us, sure nuff they will get where we want them tis way...wet or otherwise

I have owned trained cows in the past. Ones that a person could use a poly wire to move hot or not. These aren't them. These are a put together group of range cows that have been bought at the sale over the last couple of months. They come from huge wide open pastures which are in thousands of acres maybe tens of thousands of acres. All there lives they have been moved by people horse back with good cow dogs.

 

[4hfarms]

There is a reason we eat them.

Because they are tasty with veg and a potatoes....

I prefer beef over trying other "stupid" choices.

 

[Dave]

One of the 6 hold outs went across the river today so I am down to 5 on the wrong side. They have to start getting hungry.

 

[Warren Allison]

@Dave , you just need to ride a mule and blow a horn!

 

[Travlr]

@Dave , you just need top ride a mule and blow a horn!

It's a Judas goat in disguise...

 

[tex452]

When I was a boy I had a horse named kaw-liga, that horse was bipolar,( back then we never heard of bipolar), about one out of four times he didn't have any problems whatsoever.
Me and my uncles would ride the county roads sometimes and would have to cross old wooden bridges over creeks, my crazy horse always had to go first for the other horses to follow, he never had a problem crossing bridges, I seen warren's video and that's the first thing I thought of.

 

[greybeard]

Notice the one that fell down and they quickly panned the camera in the other direction?