Post by Shawn on Sept 19, 2008 20:41:29 GMT -5
Well it was probably time, after all it had been almost a year since anybody took a walkabout! Belle took one last about early Nov., one week prior to calving, when I made her stay in the pasture by herself, because the other nurse cow was getting settled with 3 calves. So she pouted and crawled out the west back pasture fenceline.
Last Wed. night I came around the corner, 1/2 mile south of my house to see my around the corner neighbor herding my herd into a small pasture owned by yet another neighbor. he said he's seen them in the soybean field south of our house, then they were heading toward the road. I spoke to the pasture owner, arranged for me to get them the next night and took water, went home.
Thurs night, my unhappy (because of this) DH and I went down to get them. I thought they might be harder to load in the stock trailer since only one of the calves had been in the trailer so got this great idea -- geez, do you know what's coming -- to tie Belle to the truck and herd the rest of the calves behind her down the road. Well all was well until the calves meandered up into the hay field and Belle went down the road with the truck. My DH, not a farm boy from birth, got too far ahead of me and as I was going to return them to the road, was already home with the cow and my calves didn't know where mom was, weren't going to cut through the tall ditch grass, no way. So instead of getting them all excited I left them to go back and get my horse.
Plan B - Saddle the horse and ride back to push the calves through the opening onto the road, with DH running traffic control. By the time I got back there, my calves had herded themselves right back into the little pasture they were in previously. I called DH, told him go home, I'm leaving them there tonight. They see me coming on the horse, said Hey, we know you, Star, let's go. I said "no way, not falling for that." and shut the gate leaving them there. Went home got more water and prayed they'd be there Friday night.
Plan C - We hooked up the stock trailer, I took down a 16 ft. cattle panel and loaded it inside the trailer, loaded Belle back in. Tied her to the front. Went down, backed up - Hey, I really have learned how to back the trailer - and stretched the panel out. Waa laa, the lads walked right around nicely, saw mom, checked out the trailer and before they knew it the fence panel was wrapped around their butts and with the assistance of a whip, walked right in. NOTE: Train your animals to respect a whip, very helpful. Got home without incident after that.
I did wonder if Belle was in heat, prompting her to climb through the fence. And there is a bull right next to the little pasture they were in. And when I went by Thursday morning, he was standing (outside his pasture) in the people's yard ! looking earnestly at my Belle. I was not so secretly wishing he'd just jump right in there and get after it. I figured he might. I've got to call his owner and see if the bull was in there with her when he put him back. He came and got him back in before I got home Thurs. It would be nice to know she's cycling since she was so sick and lost so much weight. But I rather doubt he had time to do anything.
Moral to this story? Don't trust the "plan" that pops in your head in the middle of the night when you're stewing over a problem.
Things that I'm proud of about this:
1. That my animals always remained calm. Even when I was herding the calves without mom, they never ran from me, just meandered pleasantly along. Testament to my being around them and touching/scratching them a lot.
2. Belle is now officially halter broke. ;D
3. That I can back a stock trailer and put it exactly where I want it.
4. My horse will go where I ask when I need her in a hurry. Love that little gal.
5. No animals were harmed in this fiasco.
Things I'm not proud of:
1. My fence!
Shawn
Last Wed. night I came around the corner, 1/2 mile south of my house to see my around the corner neighbor herding my herd into a small pasture owned by yet another neighbor. he said he's seen them in the soybean field south of our house, then they were heading toward the road. I spoke to the pasture owner, arranged for me to get them the next night and took water, went home.
Thurs night, my unhappy (because of this) DH and I went down to get them. I thought they might be harder to load in the stock trailer since only one of the calves had been in the trailer so got this great idea -- geez, do you know what's coming -- to tie Belle to the truck and herd the rest of the calves behind her down the road. Well all was well until the calves meandered up into the hay field and Belle went down the road with the truck. My DH, not a farm boy from birth, got too far ahead of me and as I was going to return them to the road, was already home with the cow and my calves didn't know where mom was, weren't going to cut through the tall ditch grass, no way. So instead of getting them all excited I left them to go back and get my horse.
Plan B - Saddle the horse and ride back to push the calves through the opening onto the road, with DH running traffic control. By the time I got back there, my calves had herded themselves right back into the little pasture they were in previously. I called DH, told him go home, I'm leaving them there tonight. They see me coming on the horse, said Hey, we know you, Star, let's go. I said "no way, not falling for that." and shut the gate leaving them there. Went home got more water and prayed they'd be there Friday night.
Plan C - We hooked up the stock trailer, I took down a 16 ft. cattle panel and loaded it inside the trailer, loaded Belle back in. Tied her to the front. Went down, backed up - Hey, I really have learned how to back the trailer - and stretched the panel out. Waa laa, the lads walked right around nicely, saw mom, checked out the trailer and before they knew it the fence panel was wrapped around their butts and with the assistance of a whip, walked right in. NOTE: Train your animals to respect a whip, very helpful. Got home without incident after that.
I did wonder if Belle was in heat, prompting her to climb through the fence. And there is a bull right next to the little pasture they were in. And when I went by Thursday morning, he was standing (outside his pasture) in the people's yard ! looking earnestly at my Belle. I was not so secretly wishing he'd just jump right in there and get after it. I figured he might. I've got to call his owner and see if the bull was in there with her when he put him back. He came and got him back in before I got home Thurs. It would be nice to know she's cycling since she was so sick and lost so much weight. But I rather doubt he had time to do anything.
Moral to this story? Don't trust the "plan" that pops in your head in the middle of the night when you're stewing over a problem.
Things that I'm proud of about this:
1. That my animals always remained calm. Even when I was herding the calves without mom, they never ran from me, just meandered pleasantly along. Testament to my being around them and touching/scratching them a lot.
2. Belle is now officially halter broke. ;D
3. That I can back a stock trailer and put it exactly where I want it.
4. My horse will go where I ask when I need her in a hurry. Love that little gal.
5. No animals were harmed in this fiasco.
Things I'm not proud of:
1. My fence!
Shawn