Out to pasture

Blogger finally fixed their "Add Images" feature and I can now finally add photos to my posts again.  Problem after problem.. Blogger is going downhill.


The cow and heifer still have not had their calves.  I am convinced they ate too much pennycress weed last year and aborted their calves and had to get pregnant again.   They are still in part of the corral with a hay bale as we wait for their calves.

Sunday I let the rest of the cattle out to grass as they finished up their hay.  Sounds easy but was a lot of work.  I had to take down the electric fence and temporary corral panels that made up the extended corral.  Since I have 4 replacement heifers I had to separate them from the cows.  This will be for three weeks, until after the cows are bred.  I also let the bull out to be with the cows as he has been separate from the cows this Spring as I do not want Winter calves next Winter.  While the cows and bull went out to pasture, the replacement heifers now have access to grass in my backyard, which meant cattle-proofing the yard with a few fences around trees, a bush and flowers and some temporary corral panels to divide the yard and protect the patio area.  I had to take a sledgehammer to straighten most of the temporary corral panels I used in my yard as last year the cattle bent them in their attempt to get to the pennycress weed hay.

The bull was happy to be out with the cows and green grass.  He was jumping and dancing around when he first got out there.   Cow 40's calf - the last one born - must have had a few interactions with the electric fence.  Even though the fence was gone and corral panels taken down, he didn't want to walk to the grass.  He stood and looked at the other cattle eating in the grass and wondered how they got there.  Donna tried to herd him 'over the line' to the grass but he turned around and ran back to the metal feeder.  A few calves came back to him to encourage him to come.  Eventually he inched his way across and after being in the grass a little bit relaxed and walked on.

So I was tired at the end of the day when I let the cows out and had everyone where they should be.  At least all but the two still in the coral are happy and have stopped their mooing and complaining to me that they want green grass now.  I was ready to turn half of my complaining herd into hamburger.

Monday morning I was woken up early by the heifers.  Several were scratching their heads and necks and backs on low branches on the tree/shrub south of the house just outside my window.  It was warm overnight so I had my window open.

The white faced calf on the left was the one who didn't want to 'cross the line'.