I thought the cattle would be curious about the weed hay, but with green grass they would move on. I wouldn't have worry about the weed hay until Fall when the grass dried up. I didn't really have time right now to build a fence around the weed hay.
Sunday, July 8, I checked and the cattle were pigging out on the weed hay. They thought it was fantastic and wouldn't listen when I told them it could make them sick. Seriously cattle!!!
I planned on buying hay from my neighbor, Wyatt. After supplying his regular customer's (who he calls the pretty horse ladies) he wasn't sure he would have enough hay left for all that I needed. Donna still had plenty of hay leftover from last year for her horses so she let me have her field. Between her field and Wyatt's I should have more than enough hay. I wanted to get Donna's field cut and baled before Wyatt's field so I would know how much I needed from Wyatt. Wyatt, even with swather problems, finished cutting his field on Saturday. I needed to cut Donna's field Sunday if I had hopes of baling her hay before Wyatt's.
So I let the cattle be in the weed hay for now and cut Donna's field in the afternoon. For once something went well and I finished cutting her field early evening. Before dark I got barb wire and fence posts and started building a fence around the weed hay. First Donna helped me herd the cattle to the middle pasture where they wouldn't have access to the weed hay. I got the steel fence posts in the ground by dark. Because I was worried about not having enough room I had pushed some of the hay bales back farther. Three hay bales more than the others. Now I wanted to push the three bales back to be next to the rest. After sitting a few days the bales started to get flat on the bottom. Also pushing the bales back over hay that earlier unraveled as the bales rolled, was another hindrance. So I was 4 fence posts short.
Monday afternoon I went to finish the fence. First I pitchforked some of the "3 bales" hay back to the group and eventually was able to roll the three bales back to the group. I didn't need the 4 posts after all.
I built a three strand barb wire fence around the bales. While the high temperature that day was 91 degrees, where the bales were was a low spot among trees and mostly sunny with no air flow. So add another 5 to 10 degrees to the 91. The previous evening mosquitoes were a problem. To my great surprise they were much worse Monday afternoon in the heat and sun. Fortunately I had brought bug spray. Still, the mosquitos were very distracting as hundreds flew around me looking for an unprotected spot as I worked. So I left the fence at three wires. That should be good enough.
I remembered the bug spray - I forgot water or food. By the time I opened the gate to let the cattle back into the south pasture I was weak and seeing spots and on the road to heat exhaustion. I had trouble counting the cattle as they passed through the gate. Still I noticed the bull was missing. I looked and found him with the two cows in the north pasture. Half the middle/north pasture fence is still only three strands with the top strand just a wire and not barb wire. The bull broke the wire and hopped over the fence to be with one cow who was coming into heat. When the bull saw the rest of the cows go to the south pasture he stood by the gate and waited for me to open it. As he walked to join the cows the cow coming in heat also wanted to join the bull (the heck with her calf!). I closed the gate and kept her in the north pasture. Later, and for 24 hours she and the bull would call to each other across the pastures. In the morning the bull stood by the south/middle pasture gate in hopes I would open it for him. Nope.
Tuesday I sprayed weeds all day. I am way behind schedule for spraying.
Wednesday morning I planned on baling Donna's hay. First I had to talk with a neighbor about buying some hamburger from my upcoming cow. That talk took longer than planned. Then I notice Wyatt was raking his hay. So I had to go talk with him as I hadn't talked with him since before he cut his hay. He was raking the hay so I could bale later that afternoon. "Well... first I have to bale Donna's field."
After talking with Wyatt I walked over to check the weed hay and fence. I found a half dozen cattle standing there eating the weed hay. The cattle had pushed the top two barb wires down to the level of the lowest wire and stepped over it into the hay. Oh, for Heaven's sakes!
I was late to baling Donna's hay and had to go. I would think of what to do about the weed hay as I baled.
I had major problems baling her hay (a future blog post) so I had the evening free. I took twelve of the temporary green corral panels and made a fence around the weed hay (after chasing the cows away from the weed hay). That seems to have solved this problem - though I haven't checked for a few days. When these cows want something they work and work at it.
 |
| The hay before the cattle found it. |
 |
| Tobey the bull. |
 |
| The two youngest calves got in the action. |
 |
| Chowing down. Who needs mother's milk? |
 |
| Mama is behaving and not in the weed hay. Instead she messed with my wheelbarrow. |
 |
| From where I had rolled the three bales back. One bale can be seen lower right. |
 |
| My simple fence - which didn't stop determined cattle. |
 |
| Fence? What fence? That didn't stop us. |
 |
| Hopefully the final solution. |
And yes, the sad saga continues…
No comments:
Post a Comment