One herd

Eleven heifers went seeking a bull,
Eight heifers stayed where they belonged,
One heifer went on a journey,
In the land of Montana where the Pines are tall.
One Herd The Rancher wants them all, One Herd the Rancher must seek them,
One Herd the Rancher must bring them all, and in the pasture keep them,
In the land of Montana where the Pines are tall.

I have all my cattle back where they belong and all together. Monday morning I was able to easily move the twelve in the south pasture to the middle pasture. Then I went to the eight in Jim's pasture. They were taking a siesta in the NW corner close to the river. I also wanted to figure out which heifer (#649) had made it from Jim's pasture all the way to the peninsula on Saturday.

The eight were a little surprised to see me but eventually they got up and came over to check me out. They washed my arms and a few times they would try to nip on my elbows. My shoes were washed and the shoelaces untied. I had a pair of small binoculars in one of my rear pants pockets. One heifer was determined to get it. She would try to bite it out of my pocket.

In the end my clothes and I were slobbered on before the eight got tired of me and left.

The eight then somewhat lazily followed me back to the north pasture. Once there a few noticed the twelve gathered around a tree in the middle pasture and quickly came to the gate which I had opened. A couple of the twelve called the eight and the stragglers came running.

Now you'd think they would be all happy to see one another. Think again. Eight quickly squared off head to head in pairs of two and went at it. Three pairs settled their disagreement relatively quickly. It took the fourth pair a few hours before they settled their disagreement.

The middle pasture still has three or four pits where I had burned the tree stumps. The cattle found them and would toss dirt in the air and on them. I noticed one heifer in one pit was writhing around. My first thought was that she fell in the pit and hurt or broke her leg. Nope. She was going for the full effect in getting a dirt bath. I think the dirt helps keeps the many flies off them.

Monday was a warm to hot day and once the disagreements were settled, dirt baths were done, and a quick check of the pasture was done, the cattle settled down for an afternoon siesta under a few of their favorite trees near the hayfield fence. This being a warm day their siesta lasted all afternoon.

This middle pasture is the one the eleven had escaped from last week. I watched for signs if they wanted to swim the river again, but the bull and the other herd must have been moved from that pasture as my herd had no interest in crossing the river.

It is good to have the herd all together again as one.

A few photos of the herd getting to know one another again.