Losing weight

Dan returned from his vacation and I spoke with him early Wednesday morning about one of his heifers; a Hereford cross. The previous weekend I had noticed she was thinner as she had lost weight, especially around the hips. All of the other cattle looked good and had gained weight.

While Brian and I were at Waterton Provincial Park Dan came over to look at his cattle. Yup, he agreed she had lost weight. Her eyes were clear; she kept up with the other cattle; no runny nose or diarrhea. No idea as to why the weight loss. Maybe she had eaten something that disagreed with her. So he said to keep an eye on her and see if she improves.

As the middle pasture was almost eaten down I told Dan, after he looked the cattle over, he could let them into the south pasture and its taller grass. Being in the south pasture should stop the Holstein from slipping through the fence.

Thursday morning while Brian was running some errands I moved the salt blocks to the south pasture now that the middle pasture was closed to the cattle. The cattle gathered all around me and the salt blocks after I placed them in their container.

I had brought a few loaves of old bread and several of my cattle would eat it from my hand. In my back pocket I had a plastic bag for later gathering goat's beard seeds. The bag hung out of my pocket and the next I knew another one of the cattle grabbed it and pulled it out of my pocket.

"No! No! No! That's not for eating!"

I grabbed the bag and after a half hearted attempt at a tug-of-war it let go. This time I tucked the bag completely in my pocket.

About this time Brian returned and came out to the pasture. I put him to work helping me carry the last three salt blocks along with their wooden stand from the middle to the south pasture and under a large tree.

The cattle are all set: tall grass, water, and salt.

Yesterday/Sunday the cattle lined up along the fence as I searched the hayfield for goat's beard weeds. Several of them decided the "grass is greener" and stuck their heads through the barb wire fence and into the hayfield. Number 50 (mine) really stretched the wire as the barbs didn't bother her at all. Before she could break the wire I "shoosh'd" her back. Unfortunately she moved back quickly and her ears held the wire and it broke. *sigh*

When I returned to weed searching she walked to the fence to put her head through once again. *grr!* Once again I "shoosh'd" her back. Then I went back home to get wire and pliers for a repair before she could figure out how to slip through the fence.

When I returned to repair the fence I found the herd had moved on. Guess they lost interest once I was gone. Fence is fixed now.

Oh yeah, Dan's Hereford cross appeared to have gained back some of her weight. That's good.

Me? With all my walking and weed pulling I lost a few pounds myself.