Trenching for electric

I am back to burying electric wire.  Friday my neighbor and I rented a trencher and split the cost.  The work went far quicker than we expected (a full day) as we both finished in half a day (4 hours).

While his work went across his driveway and involved lots of rock and gravel, my trench was in the pasture, and other than a couple minor tree roots, the ground was soft and easy to dig.  I finished in less than two hours.

The rental place this year has a new trencher.  The machine has tracks instead of wheels.  Also the controls for forward/reverse and turning was easier as the new machine had a handle instead of a joystick.

Last year's model

I still can't dig a completely straight line.  In my defense one has to dig walking backwards.

Two on the loose

This morning as I was finishing up a phone call with my electrician I saw briefly out the front window two black shapes run past out in the hayfield.  I thought they may be dogs and after I finished my call I went outside.  To my surprise the two black "dogs" were two of my calves.  The lead calf was "Curious George" (the first born calf) and the other calf was a solid dark brown calf.  I'm not sure whose mother he or she is.

The rest of the cattle were in the pasture just west of the corral.  The two calves were trying to get back with the cattle.  But they couldn't find a way through the barb wire fence.  I could not find any break in the fence.  I don't know how they got through the fence in the first place.  In a spot or two the lower wire is a touch high - maybe the calves crawled underneath?

Buddy was laying in the south corral.  I opened the gate to the hayfield.  The calves ran along the fence but were more interested in looking at me in the corral than in finding the gate.  Finally Curious George went through the gate and into the corral.  I had to herd the other calf through the gate as he is not as sharp.

Then I had to herd the calves through the gate into the main corral.  Again Curious George went though the gate.  The other calf turned the other direction and after some herding I got it through the gate.

All this time Buddy just laid there watching the calves run around him and me run around the corral.

Sneaking some of Buddy's hay when he wasn't looking.

Curious George trying to hide and eat hay behind the feeder.

You'd think in the photo below both calves were going through the gate.  No, the brown calf took off to the right after I took the photo while Curious George continued through the gate.

During the commotion with the calves the rest of the cattle chilled out.

Beulah's daughter slept hard right through the commotion.

These cattle have it good and they are getting wasteful.  Look at all the hay on the ground around the feeder.  While they always have spilled some hay, never this much.

Calf 9

The ninth calf was born Friday, April 22 - one week after the birth of calf 8.  Again I just missed the birth.  The calf is a girl.

The calf is white faced with two large "black eyes".   She looks similar to her mother.

Later that afternoon

The next day

Here is a 26 second video of the newborn calf:

https://youtu.be/BERQAZQRF3Y
-

Fainting

Last night Daisy woke me up around 4 am to let me know she wanted to go outside.  As I woke up I got a charley horse in my left leg.  In the past I found if I stand at the outset that the pain is less intense and for a shorter time.  So I stood up quick.

The next I remember I was on my knees and elbows and struggling to get up on my hands.  I was confused as to what I was doing and why.  It seemed like I was doing this for a while.  Finally I cleared up enough to get up and back in bed.  At sometime I let Daisy outside.  I don't remember when.

In the morning I found a cut and blood above one eye and I had a very sore and stiff neck.  My neck is still stiff and sore this evening.

While I have been temporarily dizzy at times when I quickly stood up, I never lost consciousness in all my life and this is twice now in the past few months (counting my bicycle accident).  I wonder if my blood pressure now in a normal range has something to do with this?

Fussy eaters and work they make

Today is the day the cattle finish a large hay bale.  Often it is the stemy hay left.  Often the cattle drag their feet in eating all the hay.  Today they took it to a new level.

Mid afternoon I returned from my doctor's appointment.  I had an electrician coming out to see what I wanted so he could give me an estimate for some electrical work.  When outside I noticed Mama's and one other cow's calf (calf 1 - the curious calf) in the north pasture on the other side of the corral panels.

Huh?

Sure enough they were on the other side of the corral panels and eating grass.  The cows weren't happy about it and a number were bellowing loudly.  The cattle still had a little hay left in their feeder but none were interested in it.  I put two small bales out in the corral's feeder and the cattle went into the corral.

In their desire to eat green grass the cattle pushed against the corral panels and moved them a ways into the north pasture.  The south panels were attached to the top of a wood fence post but the bottom was not.  The bottom wire I used to attach the panel to the post was off the post and panel.  Fortunately the top wire held (though the post was leaning pretty good).   The panels leaned out on the bottom and the two calves got through.

When I walked out to the panels Mama's calf (Clyde) slipped back around the lower part of the end corral panel and back into the 'correct' part of the pasture.  Clyde and two other calves didn't want to go into the corral but eventually I got them herded inside.  The other calf was still outside the panels.  I had to unhook one panel and then herd him past the panel and then into the corral.

Once the electrician left I went to work on the panels.  I straightened the post.  I decided to have the south panels connect to the next eastern wood fence post.  I thought I had enough play when moving the fence back from where the cattle moved them.  I was 4 to 6 inches short.  I had to unhook each panel and then move it over.  All the way across the line of panels.

I noticed (before I put them into the corral today) the cattle (especially #7) were still leaning over the fence to eat the northern neighbor's grass along the fence.  My newer fence posts held but the wire fence was getting bent down.  I had to bend the top of the wire fence back up.

I decided to rearrange some of the corral panels to go across the north side and make a barrier.  That way the panels will block the cattle from the fence and the messy areas where I had fed hay bales earlier.  I'll finish this line of panels tomorrow after I put a new large bale out and move the hay feeder.

The cattle were also leaning through the southern fence's barb wire to eat the grass along the fence in the hayfield.  I had to patch a few wires they had broken.

Before doing the panel and fence work I had taken the remaining hay from the pasture feeder and placed it in one wooden feeder in the corral.  There is some unknown reason the cattle don't like this last bit of hay.  All while I was working on the panels and fences a number of cattle stood in the corral and bellowed at me.  Only a few cows picked at the hay.

I found #7 was sticking her head through the gate to the loading corral so she could eat what grass she could reach in there.  The gate held.

By the time I was done with the panel and fence work I gave in and gave the cattle two more small hay bales so they would shut up. 

I also saw that the gate dividing the corral was bent out and leaning down a bit on one end.  It appears Buddy had leaned on and against it.  When working on the panels I noticed a cow (#7 of course!) backed up to this gate.  She was pushing and rubbing her rear end on it.  She was straightening the gate back up a little bit.  But not by much as Buddy was right there with his nose and mouth....  well... let your imagination go.

After I went into the house to get my camera #7 and Buddy left the gate.

No wonder the gate is bent, these cows come over to tease Buddy.   I hand strung a few strands of barb wire just above the top of the gate.  I'll see if that helps.


Now that the JB Weld patch on my cattle water trough was completely dried I put the water trough back.  I re-leveled the blocks the trough rests on.  I want a small tilt to the SW so if the water trough is overfilled the water runs away from the well.

Then the sun set and I wasn't able to finish digging around tree stump #3.

I mentioned I saw a doctor this afternoon.  It was to my orthopedic surgeon.  He was pleased with my recovery and released me to resume my normal activities (which I had already been doing these past few weeks).  I got copies of today's x-rays.  To me they look the same as my previous x-rays taken after my  surgury.


Lastly, the tulips are blooming.

Calf 8

It rained a lot Thursday night, April 14.  Friday morning, the 15th, when I got up early to give the cattle some small hay bales I discovered a new born calf in the corral.  #80 had given birth to a white faced bull calf earlier that morning.

Even though I was running on less than five hours sleep, Donna could come over right then to help me band the calf's testicles.

The calf was big; and even though he was only a few hours old,  I had to sit on him in the wet muddy manure to hold him down.  My poor hips could hardly stand it.  After trying over and over we finally got both testicles down in his sack so we could band them.

Five boys and three girls so far.

By 1 pm the calf was dry, soft and shiny and was soaking up the sun.

Well.. if you are going to disturb me by taking my photo I guess I'll get up.

Making a new friend

Busy Saturday

7 am I got up and fed a couple hay bales to the cattle.  No new calves.

9 am as I prepared to leave for the coop meeting I saw that Rose just had her calf. Both were fine.

12:30 pm when I returned I gave the cattle two more hay bales.  I discovered Panda also had a calf that morning.  Both were fine.

One heifer and one bull calf. Donna helped me band the little bull calf.

All the cattle were locked in the corral except for Panda and her newborn calf.  Donna handled the gates as I brought out another large hay bale to the pasture.

Now that I only have two calves yet to be born, and it is a little over three weeks since the first birth which means anytime now a cow will come back into heat, it is time to separate Buddy the Bull from the cows.

First I had to open the corral panels to the larger pasture, and using the tractor, retrieve the second hay feeder.  Once the panels were back in place Donna and I let Mama and her calf out of the south corral.  I didn't want to let the rest of the cows and Buddy out the corral yet.  Donna handled the main corral gate and I handled the south corral gate and we got Mama and her calf out of the corral and into the pasture.

Then we got Buddy separated from the cows and into the south pasture by himself.  I had hay in the south corral feeder by the barn and Buddy walked over there.  Then using the tractor I carried the feeder into the south corral.  Then I moved a large hay bale into the south corral.   Since Buddy can get excited when he is hungry and I bring hay, I decided to put a large bale in the south corral just for him.  That will last him awhile.

Everything (the move of Mama, the move of Buddy, the two calf births) went very smooth.

Once Mama was in the pasture she and her calf went around checking everything out.  She had the afternoon to get used to her new location.  At 7 pm I let the rest of the cattle out of the corral so they could eat from the large hay bale.

It wasn't five minutes later and Mama and #7 were fighting.  Mama is smaller but she was holding her own quite well.  I noticed a corral board was loose so I went and got a hammer and re-nailed the board.   When I was done Mama and another black cow were fighting.  Mama again was holding her own against the larger cow.

Late afternoon I spent some hour digging some more around another tree stump. Later when walking back from retrieving my cap from where I was digging around a tree stump I saw Mama and #90's calves running across the pasture together.  Mama was running in hot pursuit and behind Mama was #90.  #90 caught up to Mama and they began fighting.

*sigh*

Today - Sunday - they got it out of their system.  No fighting that I know of.  Mama's calf - Clyde - is having fun playing with the other calves and Mama is trying to chill out.   In the evening I noticed most of the herd running around the pasture.  The calves were running in a group together and following them were their mothers running after them.  Around and around.

These mothers need to chill out.

Mama and #90 fighting.

After Buddy was put in the south corral he started rubbing against the barn.  He is trying to get rid of his winter fur.  I scratched him to help him out.  Donna gave me a rake to use once my arms got tired.  Buddy loves being scratched.

Here is a 47 second video of Buddy in the corral.

https://youtu.be/DWf7B6AMMrE

-

Soaked and Beulah's Calf

I am really tired.  I'm having trouble staying awake. I fell asleep once already.  Busy day.  The evening was capped by getting caught in rain while riding my bicycle.  We had quite the lightning show in the evening as rain clouds moved in.  I thought I had time to get a quick bicycle ride in before the rain arrived but I misjudged the storm's speed.  I ended up riding a mile and a half back home in a hard rain.  The wind also switched and came up against me hard as I rode.  I was soaked once I finally got home.

Another calf was born today.  I'll get photos posted in a few days.  Meanwhile, here are a couple photos of Beulah's calf taken this evening.

Calf 7

The seventh calf was born late morning on April 10. It was a beautiful warm day and a great day to be born.  This birth I was able to watch.  I could tell a hour or two earlier that cow #90 was close to giving birth.  While the rest of the cattle were in the corral, 90 was by laying by herself at the NW corner of the pasture area the cattle can get to.  A short time later she was in another part of the pasture by herself.  She was circling around with her tail up.  Her udder looked full.

I called Donna and she came over to watch.  I got a couple plastic chairs and we sat in the hayfield just across the fence from where cow #90 was laying.

She didn't appreciate an audience.   She got up and moved further away near the corral panels and a tree.  We waited until she was farther along before we moved closer to watch.  Still, as we approached she got up and moved a little further away and laid down again.  This time we waited until the calf was halfway out before I slowly walked closer in order to film the birth.   Cow 90 quickly got up and the calf quickly slipped completely out as the mother stood up.   Wow!  That was fast.

I then got some photos and filmed a video. 

It's a girl!

First steps.

 
Five days later.  Calf 7 is standing.

The camera's battery was low so I didn't actually film when the calf first stood up.  I got the mother licking the calf right after its birth.  I filmed when the calf first sat up and also when she started to move her front legs.  After a short time of the camera being turned off I was able to get a quick video of the calf standing before the camera battery quickly died gain.

https://youtu.be/30py6lfGkgM

-

Calf 6 - Beulah's

Early morning on April 8 Beulah had her calf.  The calf was a girl.  The calf looks just like her mother.

Beulah is a good mother.  She keeps an eye on her calf and shows concern when necessary, but Beulah is not a helicopter mother.

Fence and calves

Unplanned work today was fixing a fence.   You'd think with a large bale of great hay that would be enough for the cattle.  But no, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.  The fence normally is not a problem, but the cattle straining and leaning over the fence put pressure on the wood fence posts and I found they were more rotten than I thought.   I had to replace all six fence posts this afternoon.

While working on the fence #7 kept coming over to try to reach over the fence and I had to shoo her away several times.

As I was nailing the fence back to the last post Buddy ambled over.  After checking out the tools he came over to me.  I was outside the fence to nail the fence back to the posts.  I started scratching his head which he likes.  He then moved a bit so I could scratch his neck.  Then along his side.  With the recent warm weather his winter hair is coming off.

I thought Buddy would amble on after a few minutes.  But no, he was really into my scratching him. Over about 20 to 30 minutes I scratched most of his right side and made a pile of hair on the ground.  He just stood there chewing his cud with occasional movements to have me scratch a certain spot.  My arms were ready to fall off when I finally quit.  After a few minutes Buddy ambled off.

While I scratched Buddy Daisy woke up and saw me.  She came over and meowed at me to get my attention.  She was jealous.  After a bit she came over and laid along the fence near me and under Buddy.  She would roll around on the ground.

Daisy!  You're gonna be as flat as a pancake if Buddy steps forward and on you!  You need to move!

Finally she moved to behind Buddy.  When Buddy later took a step backwards she quickly moved out of the way.  She then moved over to the tools and laid along the post hole digger handle occasionally hugging the handle.  And occasionally moan her displeasure at being ignored.

Fixed fence

Later in the evening Red's calf came running over to me as I walked along a fence.  That got Red excited and she came running over and mooing but quickly calmed down.

A little grooming of the calf by Red.

Man and her calf were also nearby.

Calf 5

The fifth calf was born mid morning on Tuesday April 5.  I just missed the birth as you can see in the photos the calf is still wet.  It hadn't stood up yet.  The calf was a little bull calf.

Donna helped me band the calf.  While the calf wasn't too active I still sat on the calf to hold it in place while we banded it.  I'm not used to kneeling, straddling and sitting back as my hips and legs were a little stiff and sore from doing this.   Donna found that amusing.

Donna can look at a calf's head and face and tell if it is a boy or a girl.  So far her track record is spot on.

For the record, the mother is a brockle face cow.  Not bronco or broco.    Spell check doesn't like the spelling which is why a few times I ended up with bronco.

The next day...

My balls feel a little weird with that band around them.

What you looking at?