She was further down the fence line and standing under a pine tree. She was chewing her cud and therefore not interested in being herded through the gate. I fixed the two wires and headed off at noon to the county fairground to meet Tammy at the grandstand building to help her set up for her second Antique and flea market event. Heifer #25 would be fine while I was gone. And maybe she would "learn her lesson" from being separated from the rest of the herd.
I got back home after 5 pm. Most of the herd was away from fence. Heifer #25 was in the pasture along the fence and two other heifers were along the fence in the hayfield.
Then a few more cattle came over.
Here is a video of the jailbreaker's best friend coming over to the fence. One minute long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sP6jocZKF8&feature=youtu.be
Heifer #25 tried to ignore me. I used an apple to get her attention and she began to follow me to the gate. But her best friend - heifer #24 - followed along the hayfield side of the fence. #24 ran and got to the gate first. She wanted into the pasture. She can be too smart for her own good. I herded her back from the gate. Another heifer wanted into the pasture. She grunted as she jumped back when I herded her away from the gate. #24 tried to get through again. Again I herded her back. We settled into a stand off.
Meanwhile #25 just stood looking at the open gate. I waited. And waited. She just stood there. She wouldn't go through the gate and I couldn't leave the gate to herd her else the other cattle would come through the gate. Then the rest of the herd noticed us and they all came running over all excited.
Okay. I give up. I shut the gate. #25 can stay in the pasture longer.
The cattle settled into having a siesta. I went home to have lunch. Later the entire herd was in the middle of the hayfield and #25 was by the fence.
I opened the gate and she just stood there. I tired to entice her with another apple but she wouldn't have anything to do with me. I herded her to the gate and she went though it. She wanted to sniff and check it out but I shut the gate.
She headed towards the herd, mooed, then hung a hard left and walked to the water trough. While she had access to the river in the pasture that would mean leaving sight of the herd so I doubt she did that, especially as she was thirsty now. She is the one just left of center in the following photo.
Later in the evening, as I was finishing up spraying weeds for the night in the pasture, she came over to the gate and pushed on it a bit. Then she stood by the fence and stared at the pasture. After a bit some other cattle came over to see what she was looking at and crowded her. This annoyed her as she was trying hard to think on how to get through the fence and they were distracting her. She brushed them off and started to walk along the fence slowly inspecting it to find where she got through it in the morning. The temperature was dropping quickly and it was getting cold so I left as she continued walking along the fence.
What tomorrow brings... we'll see.
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