Post by hoperefuge on May 17, 2011 14:05:15 GMT -5
OK, chores are done, it's raining, laundry is in the machine & I can finally sit down & tell y'all about yesterday.
SETTTING: Behind the cow barn, we have a small pasture paddock with electric rope perimeter fencing. On the far side from the barn there is a temporary 2-strand divider fence. The top strand is electric & placed to stop adult cows, the bottom strand is not electric & does nothing to stop calves from ducking through. Just beyond the divider fence is the mountain with lots of trees & rocks, a section of which is pretty much a cliff - probably a 70-80 degree incline.
BACKGROUND: I had Ladybell up in the old horse barn when she calved last Tues. We've had a crazy busy weekend, starting Thurs., through Sun., so I didn't have time to get to know the heifer, Trixie, very well as I like to. I decided yesterday that it was high time to start some halter training & get them back in with the herd. I usually turn momma & baby out in the barn paddock, keep an eye on introductions & wait for baby to learn about the electric fence. They usually bellow, jump back, maybe move a few steps away & not much more. The dexter bull calves seem to have a magnetic attraction to the cliff (not the heifers & not the jersey cross bulls, just the dexter bull calves ) They go up, I get them back down & after the one time they seem to decide it wasn't a great idea & no more problem.
WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY: I took Ladybell & her HEIFER, Trixie, back down to the cow barn paddock, working on halter training on the way & she was finally starting to "get it". Once everybody got kinda settled down, I took the halter off to let Trixie explore her new pasture on her own. She soon found the electric fence, got zapped on the nose & starting running along the fence. Momma felt the need to run along, close beside & Trixie kept bumping into the fence (Ouch). She then took off across the paddock to the far side, through the fence & straight up the cliff.
I knew she was somewhat panicked & probably wasn't planning to stop, so I took off after her. I caught up with her at one very precarious spot, and Trixie was having trouble, tripping & slipping.
By this time, Ladybell had taken the shock & ducked the fence, too, to get to her baby....and I wasn't entirely sure how much she trusted me with the calf yet, if she would see me as help or a threat. Momma climed up to us about the time I got ahold of Trixie, but I lost my footing & fell. Somehow I ended up tumbling backwards, head over heels, still holding Trixie at first. I lost my hold on her at some point, flipped over backwards again, and by the sound of things figured that Ladybell was also sliding down the hill towards me. I finally got myself stopped, and amazingly didn't crack my head on a tree or rock!
I got ahold of the calf again & managed to get the halter, which I still had in my hand, on her and proceeded to drag her the rest of the way down. We all got back on the right side of the fence & all still in one piece.
So, I figure we need to try again, and take the halter off a second time. Well, you guessed it. Repeat entire scenario....well, minus the tumbling over backwards part. She got zapped, ran straight across the paddock & up the cliff. Jeff was working nearby & heard me screaming at her....and decided he better help this time (and, no, he hadn't seen me rolling down the cliff the first time ;D ). I was about worn out already & he caught up to her first. This time she headed off the side of the cliff around to where it's not so steep, and she got stuck in the branches of a fallen tree. If that hadn't stopped her, I don't know how far she would've gone until we caught her! Ladybell decided the best way to get to her was to go wading through the small pond, instead of following the trail up the hill around the pond! She got to us, dripping wet half-way up her body. We finally got the halter on again, and this time I took them straight to the stall in the cow barn. And that's where they still are.
So, now I guess I have to figure out how to get this little gal acclimated to the electric fence without her freaking out & running blindly up the cliff! How am I gonna do that?
Kim
SETTTING: Behind the cow barn, we have a small pasture paddock with electric rope perimeter fencing. On the far side from the barn there is a temporary 2-strand divider fence. The top strand is electric & placed to stop adult cows, the bottom strand is not electric & does nothing to stop calves from ducking through. Just beyond the divider fence is the mountain with lots of trees & rocks, a section of which is pretty much a cliff - probably a 70-80 degree incline.
BACKGROUND: I had Ladybell up in the old horse barn when she calved last Tues. We've had a crazy busy weekend, starting Thurs., through Sun., so I didn't have time to get to know the heifer, Trixie, very well as I like to. I decided yesterday that it was high time to start some halter training & get them back in with the herd. I usually turn momma & baby out in the barn paddock, keep an eye on introductions & wait for baby to learn about the electric fence. They usually bellow, jump back, maybe move a few steps away & not much more. The dexter bull calves seem to have a magnetic attraction to the cliff (not the heifers & not the jersey cross bulls, just the dexter bull calves ) They go up, I get them back down & after the one time they seem to decide it wasn't a great idea & no more problem.
WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY: I took Ladybell & her HEIFER, Trixie, back down to the cow barn paddock, working on halter training on the way & she was finally starting to "get it". Once everybody got kinda settled down, I took the halter off to let Trixie explore her new pasture on her own. She soon found the electric fence, got zapped on the nose & starting running along the fence. Momma felt the need to run along, close beside & Trixie kept bumping into the fence (Ouch). She then took off across the paddock to the far side, through the fence & straight up the cliff.
I knew she was somewhat panicked & probably wasn't planning to stop, so I took off after her. I caught up with her at one very precarious spot, and Trixie was having trouble, tripping & slipping.
By this time, Ladybell had taken the shock & ducked the fence, too, to get to her baby....and I wasn't entirely sure how much she trusted me with the calf yet, if she would see me as help or a threat. Momma climed up to us about the time I got ahold of Trixie, but I lost my footing & fell. Somehow I ended up tumbling backwards, head over heels, still holding Trixie at first. I lost my hold on her at some point, flipped over backwards again, and by the sound of things figured that Ladybell was also sliding down the hill towards me. I finally got myself stopped, and amazingly didn't crack my head on a tree or rock!
I got ahold of the calf again & managed to get the halter, which I still had in my hand, on her and proceeded to drag her the rest of the way down. We all got back on the right side of the fence & all still in one piece.
So, I figure we need to try again, and take the halter off a second time. Well, you guessed it. Repeat entire scenario....well, minus the tumbling over backwards part. She got zapped, ran straight across the paddock & up the cliff. Jeff was working nearby & heard me screaming at her....and decided he better help this time (and, no, he hadn't seen me rolling down the cliff the first time ;D ). I was about worn out already & he caught up to her first. This time she headed off the side of the cliff around to where it's not so steep, and she got stuck in the branches of a fallen tree. If that hadn't stopped her, I don't know how far she would've gone until we caught her! Ladybell decided the best way to get to her was to go wading through the small pond, instead of following the trail up the hill around the pond! She got to us, dripping wet half-way up her body. We finally got the halter on again, and this time I took them straight to the stall in the cow barn. And that's where they still are.
So, now I guess I have to figure out how to get this little gal acclimated to the electric fence without her freaking out & running blindly up the cliff! How am I gonna do that?
Kim