Cattle through multiple fences

Yesterday was the last of a large hay bale.  The cattle usually finish the bale before noon.  Then near sunset I will take some hay from the heifer's large hay bale and put it in the wooden feeder in the main corral.  Then let the cows into the corral to eat this hay.  Then keep them in the corral overnight.  Then the next morning put a new large hay bale out in the north pasture.

Yesterday was busy inside the house most of all day.  Clean my woodstove.  Then talked on Skype with my friends in Germany.  I hadn't talked with them for a year so our talk was 3 hours long.  Then I had to talk with insurance agents to help my brother.  His house insurance company was canceling old insurance policies in that state that were in one of their "books" as they called it, and his was one of the insurance policies being canceled.

I finally got outside near sunset to give the cows some hay.  I discovered 2 cows and the bull were in the north pasture.  One cow in the middle pasture.  4 cows in the hayfield.  6 cows in the south pasture.  The cows in the hayfield and south pasture were all the way over near the far fence. 

To get to the other pastures the cows went through and/or over fences.  They went through the 5 strands of barb wire to go from the north to the middle pasture.   Then at the spot where the one cow had gone over the fence to the hayfield weeks ago, at least one did.  Then at the spot where the one cow had gone through the fence to the south pasture weeks ago, the 6 cows did it again breaking the 5 barb wire strands.   Near this spot in the middle pasture one or more of the four cows went over the fence into the hayfield.   I have another large hay bale in the middle pasture as a backup.  None of the cows went there.  They all headed south and to the other pastures.

What is going on?!

I got all the cows from the pastures and into the corral.   I also noticed that the top board in the corral fence between the north pasture and the corral with the heifers was broken.  The lower boards were fine.  The top boards are only there so the cattle don't get the idea of trying to jump over the remaining boards.  

This morning I put out a new large hay bale in the north pasture.  When I opened the corral gate to let the cows and bull out of the corral, they just stood there looking.  Always before they immediately started walking out to go to the hay bale.  I walked to lead them out.  They just stood there. I then got in the tractor and backed up towards the hay bale.  After a bit the cattle walked out and to the hay bale.

I then parked the tractor and got the tools to fix all the broken fence locations.  Shortly after I got to the first spot, the north/middle location, the cattle all walked back to stand outside the corral near the open gate and near the heifers.  Usually when I let the cows out of the corral the heifers will call out for them as the heifers want to join them.  The cows ignore the heifers.  I don't think they cows walked back today because the heifers were calling.   I let them be.  After a while the cows all walked back to the hay bale to eat.  A short time later all but one or two walked back to the corral.

What is going on?  There is nothing out there other than the hay bale.   After a while they all walked back to the hay bale.  This time they all remained there eating hay while I fixed all the rest of the broken or damaged fences.

When there is a large hay bale in the pastures I usually close the gate to the corral. When not eating the cattle will lay under the trees close to the hay bale.   This time I left the corral gate open.  This evening at sunset I checked on the cattle.  All the cows were in the corral.  Ok.  If it makes you feel safe, fine.

Something must have chased the cows that they would go through the fences, and the next day they were leery of going out there again.  Something overnight or during the day?  I didn't get a chance today to go and walk around looking for other tracks. Weeks ago when one cow would jump a fence I walked around the next day.  I did see a few dog or coyote tracks.  Or wolf tracks?  But not many tracks.  Donna says I should get a trail camera to try to see what is going on.   Maybe.   I'll see how the cattle are tomorrow.

North / middle fence

Middle pasture and hayfield fence close to the north pasture fence.  When I was moving snow for the hay feeders I also moved some snow to the fence so the cows wouldn't try to jump over the fence after doing it weeks ago.  The snow didn't stop them.

Middle pasture and hayfield fence at the spot closer to the south fence.

South pasture fence

Corral fence.  The board is too high to try to jump over. What broke the board?

One of the cattle's earlier walks back to stand outside the corral.