Well today we have plans to move most of our herd up to 30 acres in the foothills. We have a place where the owner wants the fire hazard eaten down and so we are utilizing the graze to help them out.
6:30am - up and put gates across the driveway so we can pre-pen cows in smaller pens to be able to load them easier
7am - was able to get them down to pens a lot easier than expected was done by 7:30
First I put Ruby and the baby in one pen with some hay. Then came the tricky part where I had to separate Blondie from the other two cows. I want her and ruby in the same pen. I fed them and put out two flakes to attract the other two away from the gate. Then I fed her and opened the gate barely wide enough for her. There was a brief moment where I thought she was going to bolt, but at the last second she turned and saw the open gate. She walked through and I drove her down to the pen where ruby was waiting with her calf. Last was to bring down Sangria and Scarletta. These two seem to be a little higher wired and I took out a gate where we were keeping Ruby to plug a hole by my house. Well out walks Sangria following me down the drive way. So I just step out to the side and see where she is going to go. As she turns the corner to the pen where I want her Scarletta sees she is going and comes out on the trot. But since she didn't see me moving the gate when she did finally spot me on the corner she give that whole cow freeze move right before they usually throw up the tail and bolt. UH OH. Well about that time she spotted the other cows by the pens and headed that way. Whew!
7:3o back inside to eat breakfast and let them calm down.
I have other engagements this morning and will be back to it this afternoon ,
This afternoon we have a help coming to haul them up the hill. I anticipate putting a little excitement loading but we hope not. Then we will haul them to the new place and let them out to eat grass all winter long.
Stay tuned to read if there is any excitement. Added:
Well loading the cattle went unexpectedly smooth as far as cattle loading goes. The driver almost got his truck stuck because he drove in the exact spot I told he might sink if he drove. ;) The two that I thought would be trouble only turned around in my makeshift ally once. But I was able to the gate swung shut and turn them back around. The two smaller ones with the baby hopped right in like they did it every other day. Hauled them up the hill and before we turned them out I managed through the side of the trailer to pour wormer on them. Then we opened the gate and out they ran and that is the last we saw them.
I went to work on the electric fence and finish it however the rain had set a trap and the hills sat around and watched. I pulled up hill to turn the truck around before starting. Oops, well I didn't pull up hill far enough the first time and then got stuck. After realizing that my truck was not going forward or back on the slick wet dirt I tried 4 wheel drive and surprise surprise. My truck would not go into 4w? So after quite a time we took a walk down the the fence line to see if we could get phone reception to call someone and met a great neighbor. Steve D offered to come and help pull me out. With his AWD small suv. LOL My Dodge Ram 2500. I still want to laugh. While talking he notes that the other neighbor has a tractor and usually gets off work about this time, not 5 minutes later along he comes. After a brief interlude Mike Z ran next door and got his tractor. By the time he got back and it was quick what Steve had started worked and we had the truck out. These two go along way to prove that there are still great people out there to meet if we just take the time to ask. Thanks you two. You don't realize it but you were the answer to my kids and I prayer only a few minutes prior to help us get unstuck. God works in amazing ways. Well Saturday I should be back up working on the fence. From a safe parking spot of course.
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