Moving cow manure from the loafing shed

This afternoon I shoveled cow manure from the loafing shed.  Unlike horses who don't go to the bathroom where they rest, cows don't care.  I planned on spreading some straw for them to lay on but first I wanted to get rid of the manure.

Most all of the manure was frozen. For some of the manure I had to use a sledgehammer to break it free from the ground.  Big and small I loaded onto a scoop shovel and tossed over the corral gate into the NE pasture.  There was lots of manure in the four stalls.

While a few cattle came and went to the water trough, the cattle spent the afternoon eating and eating from the two large hay bales I placed in the north pasture yesterday afternoon.  So I was undisturbed for the most part.  Rose came before I was through shoveling manure.  She stood in a stall I already had cleaned.  So I got a bale of straw and spread it out for her.  After I did she laid down on the straw.

Once I cleaned all four stalls I got a wheelbarrow to move the loose straw from when the cattle had broken a number of bales.  The cattle saw me with the wheelbarrow and were interested and a number of them came into the corral to check things out.  I was only able to spread straw in two more stalls before I quit for the day.  I was getting cold and I had to move around the cattle.

Beulah made Rose move as Beulah wanted that stall.  Typical Beulah behavior - she thinks she is the queen.

Today I noticed Buddy shadowing Spice.  The previous owners said she was bred...  I didn't see Buddy mount her but he stayed by her all the times I seen him and would follow her around.  I hope Spice is already bred as I don't really want a Fall calf.


In the stall Rose lays in, I formerly stored in half of the stall some railroad ties, posts, snow fence and a few other items.  A month ago I moved all that stuff.  With more cattle I wanted the extra room for the cattle to lay out of the wind and snow.

Rose