Post by Shawn on Jun 22, 2010 21:54:14 GMT -5
Well, I thought of other things to name this post, you'll see why.
Came home tonight, after a brief visit with my son, he left, I headed to the barn. I noticed after getting everybody situated I was missing Binkie, 4 mo Holstein calf. Waited a bit while the cows finished, did other chores and still no Binkie. Waited a bit more for DH and girls to come home. Finally decided to walk to the back and look for him. I walked in the front pasture and searched, nothing. I started toward the trees and got a really creepy feeling. Never felt scared about going on my property before, but I got to thinking, I got shorts on, boots and my cell phone, that's it. So I decided to come back to the house and wait for DH. He got home about 20 minutes later. So I explained, he got his rifle and all 4 of us head back. We go back through the trees, nothing. I thought he might be on the wrong side of electric, or asleep somewhere, etc. But I was worried something had bothered him, too. Anyway, we start walking through more trees, I'm calling. I get to the "end" of our tree row and I hear him moo pathetically. I knew something was really wrong. I started over towards the area and I heard a weird sound and I knew instantly, he was in the well.
DH and I got over there and he was in the well. It's flush to the ground with railroad ties over it and he had gotten into it and couldn't get out. He obviously had been there a while (although I knew he was fine this morning when I left for work.) He was tired and shivering, the ground around the area was just too muddy and slippery. Thank goodness he had a halter on. When I first grabbed it and pulled, he tried to help me, but then when DH and I both tried, he quit. He laid there and we had him a little bit out, but not far enough. We discussed what to do. Get a rope, come along, etc. I was afraid he was getting too tired and would give up if we let go of him. Called DS who was not back yet. Debated about sending the girls back to the house for the come along and rope, although we couldn't remember exactly where the rope was. (Know how it is to send a kid to look for something when you KNOW where it is, let alone when you don't!!)
So finally we decided to take a strong log and try to pry him up from behind. DH got back there and started moving stuff around and Binkie came back to life and helped. DH ran back around and we both pulled and FINALLY, he got up enough he could use his front feet and got out.
Wow, how we ever kept that halter from breaking, I'll never know. He has to weigh around 400# now. Thanks, Nasco for making tough halters. I know that could backfire on you in other situations, but it saved our bacon this time.
The "good" thing about it was if any of the other "babies" had done this, they wouldn't have been able to keep their head above water because they wouldn't have been tall enough to keep their head above water.
Poor guy was shivering and shell shocked. He walked very slowly back with us and met up with the herd. He probably found a place to lay down and passed out.
Oddly enough, I had called today to see when the processor could get him in if we sold him as a veal calf. So when he went missing I figured, just my luck, I'll find him dead now. Thanks goodness not, though. I do wonder how long you'd have to wait for this adrenalin rush to fade before you could process him? Sounds really mean doesn't it?
Now, I know many are thinking, Why would you have a well open like that? It isn't a place our kids play without supervision. So that's not a concern. But we will take a cattle panel back and put it over it somehow with the railroad ties, too.
So, this was tonight. Last night a ginormous black snake in the chicken nest. Sunday went and got a pig and had to wrassle him into the pen by hand. The tractor's in the shop and the Buick is repaired and it's $1,100. (Gosh, and I was worried what the tractor's going to cost.) Geez, my nerves and wallet are shot and it's only Tues.
I gotta go now, It's 9:44 and I'm going to go pass out sans any liquor...
Came home tonight, after a brief visit with my son, he left, I headed to the barn. I noticed after getting everybody situated I was missing Binkie, 4 mo Holstein calf. Waited a bit while the cows finished, did other chores and still no Binkie. Waited a bit more for DH and girls to come home. Finally decided to walk to the back and look for him. I walked in the front pasture and searched, nothing. I started toward the trees and got a really creepy feeling. Never felt scared about going on my property before, but I got to thinking, I got shorts on, boots and my cell phone, that's it. So I decided to come back to the house and wait for DH. He got home about 20 minutes later. So I explained, he got his rifle and all 4 of us head back. We go back through the trees, nothing. I thought he might be on the wrong side of electric, or asleep somewhere, etc. But I was worried something had bothered him, too. Anyway, we start walking through more trees, I'm calling. I get to the "end" of our tree row and I hear him moo pathetically. I knew something was really wrong. I started over towards the area and I heard a weird sound and I knew instantly, he was in the well.
DH and I got over there and he was in the well. It's flush to the ground with railroad ties over it and he had gotten into it and couldn't get out. He obviously had been there a while (although I knew he was fine this morning when I left for work.) He was tired and shivering, the ground around the area was just too muddy and slippery. Thank goodness he had a halter on. When I first grabbed it and pulled, he tried to help me, but then when DH and I both tried, he quit. He laid there and we had him a little bit out, but not far enough. We discussed what to do. Get a rope, come along, etc. I was afraid he was getting too tired and would give up if we let go of him. Called DS who was not back yet. Debated about sending the girls back to the house for the come along and rope, although we couldn't remember exactly where the rope was. (Know how it is to send a kid to look for something when you KNOW where it is, let alone when you don't!!)
So finally we decided to take a strong log and try to pry him up from behind. DH got back there and started moving stuff around and Binkie came back to life and helped. DH ran back around and we both pulled and FINALLY, he got up enough he could use his front feet and got out.
Wow, how we ever kept that halter from breaking, I'll never know. He has to weigh around 400# now. Thanks, Nasco for making tough halters. I know that could backfire on you in other situations, but it saved our bacon this time.
The "good" thing about it was if any of the other "babies" had done this, they wouldn't have been able to keep their head above water because they wouldn't have been tall enough to keep their head above water.
Poor guy was shivering and shell shocked. He walked very slowly back with us and met up with the herd. He probably found a place to lay down and passed out.
Oddly enough, I had called today to see when the processor could get him in if we sold him as a veal calf. So when he went missing I figured, just my luck, I'll find him dead now. Thanks goodness not, though. I do wonder how long you'd have to wait for this adrenalin rush to fade before you could process him? Sounds really mean doesn't it?
Now, I know many are thinking, Why would you have a well open like that? It isn't a place our kids play without supervision. So that's not a concern. But we will take a cattle panel back and put it over it somehow with the railroad ties, too.
So, this was tonight. Last night a ginormous black snake in the chicken nest. Sunday went and got a pig and had to wrassle him into the pen by hand. The tractor's in the shop and the Buick is repaired and it's $1,100. (Gosh, and I was worried what the tractor's going to cost.) Geez, my nerves and wallet are shot and it's only Tues.
I gotta go now, It's 9:44 and I'm going to go pass out sans any liquor...