Cattle into the hayfield back in October

Now that the yard fence against the hayfield was fixed in early October I could let the cattle into the hayfield.  I was trying to wait until after the grass froze so I could avoid buying and placing the cattle on bloat blocks.  The blocks cost more than $26 a piece and with molasses in them the cattle lick the blocks much faster than salt blocks.  But I checked on the internet and learned that the alfalfa protein level actually rises higher when it freezes and the chance of bloating is higher.   Then after it freezes, as the grass dries and turns brown over time the alfalfa level drops.  I couldn't wait that long so I bought the cattle some bloat blocks and put them on them.  After a few days of licking the blocks I let the cattle into the hayfield on October 13.  They were really happy to be let there. And no cattle bloated.

There was lots of grass and alfalfa growing so the cattle spent a long time this Fall eating them.

When I was in the hospital, and then back home before I let the cattle to the hayfield, the cattle were fed some hay bales to ensure they wouldn't roam as I couldn't really keep a close eye on them as I recovered.  Those fat pigs would go through a bale in a day and a half.  They pretty much stood non-stop and ate constantly.   Nothing else to do I guess.  Once the hayfield was eaten down and I started feeding the cattle hay back in November I feed the cattle hay twice a day so they don't overeat.   It is more work on my part but this way all my hay will last all Winter as each bale lasts me about three days.


Back the end of October Toby the bull broke the fence and was in the front yard.  He broke the top board and a couple of fence posts that were old and fragile.  He pushed the bottom two boards over with the broken posts.  The following photo was taken recently and not back in October when there was still plenty of hayfield grass.

I was fortunate in that I was working in the back yard and when I walked to the tool shed it was then I noticed Toby in the front yard checking on and eating the yard grass.  I was able to close the driveway gate to the road.  I also was able to prop up the fence temporarily to stop the rest of the cattle from coming into the yard.  Toby wanted to check the yard out.  I opened the corral gate and sooner than later he was in the back yard then in the corral.  I locked him in there until I could fix the broken fence after a few days of working on it.

In the next photo Toby came through the fence again a few weeks later.  He pushed off the fence boards in the corner.  While the boards he pushed aren't white he didn't break them.  Toby merely pushed the boards and nails out of the fence post.  He did break one fragile fence post also.

The difference this time was I was splitting logs in the back yard and I didn't see Toby.  It was at sundown when this happened and one of my neighbors was driving by when he and his wife saw Toby on the road.  I had left the gate closed for a week or so after Toby's first break through but as he left the fence alone I then left the driveway gate open.  Toby noticed the gate was open and came through the fence and then out to the road.  I was able to herd Toby back into the yard.  It took two attempts as the neighbor had parked their car at my driveway entrance as he was going to come out to help me.  With the car in the driveway Toby didn't want to enter the driveway.  With the second attempt and the car gone Toby entered the yard.  Once again I got him into the corral where he stayed for a number of days until I could fix the fence again.   This time I added a few other steel fence posts to temporarily support other weak fence posts as I am not up to completely rebuilding the fence at this time.  I now leave the driveway gate shut all the time when Toby has access to the hayfield.  Since then he has not broken through the fence again.

This afternoon, with an inch of snow on the ground, I noticed Toby walk along the fence.  He stopped at the spot with the newer boards and stood and looked over the fence into the yard.  After spending a few minutes or more of looking he then continued walking along the fence to go back and join the rest of the cows back by the patio and corral fence.  *whew*  No more broken fence boards today.