New friends: Day 3

The new cattle still have a healthy appetite.  The first and second day I wondered if it was because of their travel day.  Guess not.

The new cattle still are skittish.   They are approaching closer when I feed them.  The steers are more skittish than the new heifers.  One heifer is getting fairly relaxed around me though it won't approach me yet.

The skittishness can affect Momma and Baby.  Late this afternoon I walked in the back yard.  Momma and Baby were laying in the loafing shed.  Two cattle were licking salt blocks in another part of the loafing shed.  The other two cattle were eating hay by the barn.  The two licking salt all of a sudden saw me and bolted which caused Momma and Baby to get up and run, then the two cattle by the barn ran.

The bull across the road has been calling over a few times today.  Guess he misses Momma's and Baby's daily visits.

When I am in the corral the new cattle stay at the far end of the feeder.  This gives Baby all the room she needs to eat.  This is important as she is smaller and can be bullied by the new cattle.

Tonight when I put out more hay all the cattle bolted from the loafing shed when I approached the corral.  Then Momma quickly came to the feeder.  Then Baby then the braver heifer.  The other three hung back closer to the far fence.  But that quickly softened as they saw Momma, Baby and the heifer chowing down.  Two of the new cattle came to the feeder.

Baby usually eats in this spot in the following photo else at the other end of the feeder.  She was standing at the far end eating since her favorite spot is where I was putting hay into the feeder tonight.  One of the new cattle came to the feeder and pushed his or her way in and then kicked once at Baby to which I shouted a stern "Hey!  Stop that!". Baby moved away from the feeder and over to under the barn overhang.  Once I finished putting out hay I stepped back and called for Baby to come to her favorite spot.  She walked around the barn and came to her spot and started eating.  I hung around a bit. The last steer finally couldn't resist any longer and came to the feeder at the far end.

Kicking Baby gets you on my bad side.

Notice the steer in the back that hangs back and doesn't eat when I am in the corral.  He is still trying to figure me out.  For cattle used to roaming the mountain tops all Summer with limited interaction with humans, this will take some time for them to get used to me.