Dan decided to keep the two pair of cattle he pastured here over the Summer. Wednesday we loaded them into his stock trailer for him to take home. Kelly will be back from North Dakota soon and will come to the ranch to hunt deer. I wanted to move the cattle out of the south pasture where he hunts before he gets here.
Late morning Wednesday I had seen part of the herd in the east end of the south pasture. The rest of the herd was closer to the river. A short time later I went out to get them and found all but three cattle were across the river. Some on the big island, some on the small island, a few on the peninsula. That fast.
I had apples and called for the cattle. The three cattle on this side of the river were the bull, Dan's large red cow, and my little black steer who - of course - was on the other side of the fence and in the middle pasture.
It took a bit for the cattle to filter out of the trees and come back across the river. I had my hands full with the apples as the bull loves apples. I had to retreat across the fence as he was insisting on apples.
I had 16 of the 21 cattle. A few stood on the bank across the river and watched. They wouldn't cross back. I decided to move the 16 to the corral with hopes the rest would cross the river and follow as we left. I walked along the fence and the herd followed me on the other side of the fence. Of course some - Beulah - were excited for apples. Once I got to the hayfield gate I moved quickly. Then I ran like mad for the corral before the herd came at me for apples. When the herd came into the hayfield they paused before coming.
I ran for the corral gate I had already opened and the herd instinctively ran to where the water trough used to be, which is a short distance from the gate. No water trough. With the apples I easily got the herd's interest and they all came into the corral.
I had four cattle in the south pasture as they were stranglers and didn't put two-and-two together to realize they had to walk away from the herd to go through the gate and then turn and come to the herd. On my 'to-do' list for next year is to put a small gate in the corner of the south pasture as this behavior isn't the first time it has happened.
With the pail of apples I got #55 through the hayfield gate. Once through the gate she ran to the corral. Then I had Dan's large red heifer and a red and a black calf. It took a long time to get the red heifer through the gate as she would stop and munch on each apple after I gave her one. She would savor the apple and not gulp the apple down like many of the other cattle. Finally I got her through the gate. But I had to keep enticing her with apples as she often would look back at the gate. The red calf and the black calf remained in the south pasture as they just stood there and watched as I enticed the red heifer with apples.
Finally I got the red heifer into the corral.
Dan had arrived and he tried herding the calves along the fence to the gate. Halfway to the gate they turned around and walked away from the fence. By the time I got there the calves were heading back to the river. Two other calves were across the river on the small island and these two calves quickly crossed the river to join them.
*argh*
Dan's light brown cow was across the river and when she saw me with the apples she crossed the river and came over to me. I was able to walk with her to the hayfield gate feeding her apples along the way. At least she could walk and eat at the same time. However, once we crossed into the hayfield she noticed the cattle in the corral. She stopped and put her head up high and looked and looked. I was able to distract her with more apples. But by now she moved slower and often would stop and look at the cattle in the corral. She was suspicious.
I was running out of apples and often kept the apple just out of reach before finally giving it to her when she was about to stop. I was down to my last apple. She was starting to get annoyed I wouldn't let her eat it. I split the apple in half and let her eat one half. With the final half I tried to make it last to the gate but she started to get upset I wouldn't let her have it. So I had to let her eat it. But then I found an apple just outside the gate that the herd had missed. With this apple I tried to coax her through the gate. She wouldn't come all the way inside. She made sure part of her was just outside the gate. I tried and tried to entice her but she was super suspicious. The herd was all happy eating the grass in the corral and checking stuff out.
Finally I left the apple on the ground and the pail nearby. I left the corral to go to the house to get more apples. She entered the corral to get the apple and I was able to slip around and close the gate behind her.
*whew* More work than it should have been. And it would have to be one of Dan's cattle and not mine.
Back to the river and the remaining four calves - two of which were Dan's he wanted to take home. Of course.
I took my shoes off and hiked up my pants legs and crossed the river. The water was cold. I gently herded the calves to the edge of the island. They crossed back across the river. By the time I got back across the river the calves were standing near Dan where he was sitting by the salt blocks.
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| Good looking calves. Rose is the leftmost red calf. |
We were able to easily herd the calves to the east side of the pasture. By now they realized the herd - their mommas - were not around. In the south pasture corner they saw the herd over in the corral. Cattle have good eyesight. This time we were able to herd them to the gate. It helped that Rose was one of the calves as she led the way. While the two calves once again were interested in turning away from the fence they changed course and followed Rose. Once through the gate they all ran to the corral.
Then we had to sort my cattle out. It wasn't too hard to get them to leave the corral and go into the north pasture.
Then we herded Dan's cattle into the loading corral. Again easy.
Dan is still not sure if he will keep the bred heifer or sell her to me. At any rate, the cows are so large, and with the calves, he could only fit the two pair in the trailer. In the loading corral runway we boxed the cattle in and he put new ear tags on them. Then one pair was loaded into the trailer and I shut the divider so they would remain in the front half of the trailer. For the second cow Dan need to put his brand on her. We got her head caught into the head gate and then Dan branded her.
When Dan's cattle were in the loading corral Buddy stood outside in support of them. What a guy. When Dan drove off with his cattle Buddy called out for them. He doesn't like losing any of his females.
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| Buddy comforting his 'women'. |
Dan's bred heifer remains in the corral until Dan's decides whether to keep her or sell her. He should know on Saturday.
I moved her to the south side of the barn in the corral. That way she can drink from the water trough and I can put hay in the feeder I built there. And she won't be in the way for when I finally finish the feeder on the north side of the barn.
She is not happy being separated from the herd. I left the gate open between the middle and north pasture so the cattle can be nearby. The middle pasture grass is better so the herd spends most of their time there. This afternoon one of my cows came to the gate in support of her friend and mooed at me to let her friend out of the corral. When I am outside in the yard the red heifer comes to the side of the corral near me and gives me sad eyes.
Wednesday evening Rose hung around the corral looking for her two calf friends. The calves Dan took were red like Rose. It seems like the calves prefer to hang around with calves of their same color.
