Last week when selecting boards for the fence I shooed a deer out of the hayfield. It wasn't even dark yet and a large doe was munching on my alfalfa. Usually I can stand in the yard and clap my hands and they run off. This just stood and stared. I walked into the hayfield as that will get them to leave. Nope. I walked towards her. Eventually she trotted off a bit then stopped and looked at me when I stopped walking. Over and over we repeated this. Once I was three-fourths the way across the hayfield she finally decided to leave and hopped the fence and went to the neighbor' field. I guess why bother? I'm sure she came back after dark.
A side effect of my walking across the hayfield was the cattle in the south pasture came to the hayfield fence. I guess they thought I would let them in the hayfield. Nope. I walked back to the yard and my boards. The cattle all ran to the middle/north pasture gate.
I'm not letting you through.
A bit later I could hear wire stretching. The cattle, and especially Mama, were near the fence and Toby wanted to check them out to see if they needed his services. He was reaching through the fence to try to get their smell.
I chased the cattle away from the fence but they came back when I left. I did this a few times. Well, maybe Mama didn't 'take' the last time she was in heat and is in heat again as she kept standing right next to the fence.
Another reason to let Mama and her calf into the north pasture with Toby, Diamond and Maria is that Mama's calf is the closest in age and size to Diamond's calf. Maria's calf is old enough that she doesn't run around like the young calves do and kind of is of the mindset that she is too old to hang around with the young'uns.
Mama and her calf were near the gate so I opened it to let them through. The calf ran through but Mama didn't. She turned away. I tried a couple more times and she would turn away. The other cattle wanted through the gate and it was challenge to keep them from coming through. Me stopping the other cattle must have made Mama suspicious and that is why she didn't want to go through. Finally on my third attempt Mama went through the gate.
Toby went and checked Mama out. No, she was not in heat. Beulah now would stand next to the fence and Toby would reach through to try to check her out.
Argh! Get away from the fence!
Eventually the cattle drifted off.
Mama's calf and Diamond's calf tend to hang out together and both like to run for the sheer fun of running at top speed.
Maria's calf was born March 24. So she is almost 6 months old.
Mama's calf was born July 1. So she is 2 and 2/3 months old.
Diamond's calf was born September 8. So he is several weeks old.
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| Diamond used to have a straight back. Between her carrying a calf and now being fat she has lost her shape. |
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| 2 weeks. 6 months. |
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