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.