More herding

Friday morning, before I left for a hike, I saw the two cows by the middle/south pasture gate.  The little steer had slipped through the fence to be back with the herd.  Some of the herd was by the gate, the rest of the herd was off grazing.

I went out there and opened the gate.  One cow walked through while the other cow just stood there.  I had Beulah (of course) near the gate so I couldn't open it wider.  I waited.  Then the herd came running and I had to close the gate.

When I got home from hiking late afternoon I saw the cow in the middle of the middle pasture.  Daisy came with me to the middle pasture.  Then I saw the bull was in the middle pasture with the cow.  Not again!!!

*sigh*

I herded the cow towards the gate.  I didn't try to herd the bull.  I hoped he would follow.  The cow didn't want to be herded and just wanted to eat grass.  It took time to herd her.  Of course the herd in the south pasture noticed us and came running over to the fence and made a commotion with their bellowing.

*sigh*

I got the cow near the gate. I went to open the gate and the bull who had been following us came over to the gate.  I opened the gate a little bit and stood holding it upright so the cattle in the south pasture couldn't pass through the opening. The bull stood by the gate. I had one cow try to make a move through the gate.  I shooed her away in a restrained manner and kept an eye on the bull so he didn't become agitated.

I waited.  And waited.  He just stood there.  But the cow came to the gate, and after a little bit, walked through the gate.  Once she was in the south pasture her calf came over and latched onto her udder to drink.  Her udder was huge from not being drained for almost 24 hours.

I encouraged the cattle to move from the gate to give the bull room to walk through.  Gently encouraged of course.

I waited.  And waited.  And waited.  He stood there. He looked around. He looked at me. He checked out the barb wire of the gate.  He checked out a post in the gate.  He checked out a cow on the other side of the gate wire.  He checked out my boots.  He scratched his head on the wire.  He scratched his head on the post.

He was in no hurry.  He stood there knowing he could do what he wanted and not what others wanted of him.  He is big and made of muscle.

Finally he slowly walked into the south pasture.

I slipped around the gate and closed it with me now in the middle pasture.

Done.  Finally!

I checked the fence to see how the bull got through.  I found an area where the three-wire fence had been stretched.  No wires were broken.  Mostly like this was how he got through the fence.  I took extra wire and wired up this section and four other sections that were kind of loose or could be stretched.

Maybe, just maybe, I won't find Buddy the bull in the middle pasture on Saturday.

Walking back home I found the little steer was in the middle pasture. 

*sigh*

I let him be.  He comes and goes through this fence as he pleases.  Beulah and the herd were not happy he was in the middle pasture and bellowed their complaints.

I gathered up Daisy who had wisely waited by a fallen pine tree while I herded the cow and bull, and home we went.

I will be so happy when I have finally upgraded all of my fences to six or seven tight strands.