The day of the cow!

[Minimor]

Just a little while ago a horse was whinnying close to the house (sounded like) & since this is unusual (not to mention out of place) I went out to look around. The horses I could see were all in their places & quiet. I walked out to have a look at the pasture horses--cannot see them from the house any more--and the mares were all running around & looking out at the side pasture. So, I walked out there & up on the hill by the mares' fence was.....a COW. Well, a good sized heifer calf. The mares were having, well, a cow!

A neighbor to the west has a cow that was bawling all morning, and we knew someone over that way had a new calf because I could hear a 2nd one bawling this morning--first it was near the cow, then further over....weren't sure who had the new animal. Turns out she was already out then, that's why she sounded to be in a different place all the time. Well, now she was here in my side pasture. She looked like she'd spook if I went too close so I left her be & came in & phoned the radio station and the Mounties. Sorry, just didn't feel like driving around to the neighbors to find out which one she belongs to, they can come looking for her.

A little later the dog was barking, so I went back out & there was a fellow walking across the pasture. Then a guy came along on a quad, and yes, they were after the calf. They just got the calf yesterday & she's not tame. The one guy wanted to open the gate & put her in with my mares. Not sure why--that wasn't going to help with catching her, especially if she got mixed up with the horses! I didn't need the calf tearing down the fence & nor did I need her scaring my horses through a fence! I said no, but if we can move her down the fence line to the corner, there's a little "catch corner" there where I've fenced off the hydro pole & guy wire--it's still open to the side pasture so if she went in there & IF the fences on the two sides would hold, we'd have her cornered. Turns out the two guys were quite feeble at catching this calf--I thought I was going to have to be the one to get in there & put the rope on her. Geez. I don't know how many times she rammed the fence into the pasture, then she turned & tried to get through into the smaller paddock--she started ramming that wire & the 4 pony girls in that paddock were running for their lives. Last I noticed they were racing down the far fence toward the barn.

The one guy finally got the rope on the calf's neck & figured that would do it. I said perhaps you should put a loop over her nose as well, you're not going to hang onto her that way....oh right. Then they couldn't figure out how to fashion a rope halter for her.....it didn't help that all they had was a great big fat tow rope...I helped to fix it up so it would stay on & then they tried to lead her. She dragged the one guy out into the pasture--he ended up on his belly, dragging along behind her. I thought she was going to lose him so I grabbed the rope. She stopped & he got back on his feet, they got things sorted out better & then went on their way. Once they got going she led along pretty good--poor girl, I felt sorry for her with those two dudes handling her. I just hope he can keep her home now....and will feed her enough...this is the guy that several neighbors turned into the authorities 2 years ago when he wasn't feeding his horse and 2 heifers. Yep, definitely feel sorry for her.

I think my fence survived--have to go out in a bit & make sure the wire (field fence) isn't stretched too badly and the one post in that corner didn't break--I was freezing so didn't linger out there before. Got back in the house & Mom said Reva is on the wrong side of the fence. So, went back out & sure enough, 2 girls were out. I hadn't checked after we got the calf out of the corner.

Dora & Reva were in that smaller paddock with Ava and Ziggy. When I went back out Dora was out in the back pasture with the mare herd and Reva was in the geldings pasture on the far side. I guess when they made that frenzied dash down the fence toward the barn Reva continued on & jumped the rails into the gelding pasture. Dora must have made the turn and then jumped out into the mare pasture. Both had a pretty good jump to clear those fences, but then both of them can jump like a deer. I opened the gate & Dora came back through. Reva was very worked up & didn't wait for me to catch her & take her to the gate--she just jumped back into her paddock when I went toward her.

I did find out that my German Shepherd would be a heck of a good hand with cattle if I had some for her to work. The horses hold her in contempt so she can't work them, but she was sure ready to get after that calf and she clearly has enough instinct to be good at stock work. I was impressed!

NOT going to be impressed, though, if I go out & find that one post is cracked & I have to put in a new one!

 

[wildoak]

LOL, sounds like quite a day. We used to get all the strays that got loose in the neighborhood - dogs, horses, goats... Sounds like your neighbor's heifer might have thought things looked better at your place.

Jan

 

[Minimor]

Yeah, here she had a pasture full of grass (we haven't used the side pasture this year) and there's plenty of old hay out there that's no good for horses but probably made good eating for a hungry heifer.

But yes, we've had stray horses, cats, dogs, a pot bellied pig and now a calf--I think this is our first calf!

 

[chandab]

there's plenty of old hay out there that's no good for horses but probably made good eating for a hungry heifer.

Perhaps if these neighbors have proven the past to be less than great animal care takers, you could offer them the hay that isn't horse quality, and get it out of your way. Just a thought.

 

[REO]

Did the heifer have a hand cart and wooden box?

You mean they were out there in your pasture without asking first???

 

[Reble]

Sorry to hear about your day..

Not so nice they broke your post and had your minis all upset, so glad no one got hurt jumping back in.

Amazing how cows upset horses.

We had our neighbors 7 heifers get out, and we knew they had to be outside our pasture area, being our horses came charging in and circling.

We had fun trying to get them, but moving slowly behind them and not getting too close, we round them up and got them back to their home across the street.

Had a couple of the neighbor boys on 4 wheeler's who had to stop the traffic until they all crossed safely.

That was quite a morning before I had my coffee.

 

[Marty]

Oh what a day you've had and what a pain. Those old boys should have started clicker training that baby calf

 

[Minimor]

Did the heifer have a hand cart and wooden box?

You mean they were out there in your pasture without asking first???

If she had a hand cart & a wooden box she had them well hidden by the time I found her!

And yes, they were out there without bothering to ask permission first. I wouldn't really mind about it in this particular situation except... I know very well that if I weren't home--or if I were home but didn't bother to go out there (and if Arielle hadn't barked at them I wouldn't have known they were out there)--I have no doubts at all that the one guy would have opened the pasture gate & tried to chase the calf into the horse pasture. Goodness knows what kind of mess there'd have been then--if he'd left the gate open to try and herd the calf through he was likely to let horses out. If the calf got into the pasture, I can only guess at how many horses he might have ended up putting through/over the fence, or how much fence would have gotten wrecked. The guy isn't at all bright, and knows nothing about horses so wouldn't have the sense to make sure he didn't corner any horses in the process of trying to corner the calf.

I will be glad when I get my side pasture properly fenced and have a good gate that I can keep locked out on the approach from the road. Then stray livestock can just keep right on going when they come by here!

 

[LAZY J MINIS]

I HAD SOMEONE POUNDING ON MY DOOR AT 5AM TODAY. A MINI IN THE ROAD, GOT UP TOOK IT IN ROUNDPEN,8AM OWNER COMES AND COLLECTS MINI. THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AROUND HERE. I HAVE COWS,GOATS,DOGS, DONKEYS AND WHAT ELSE IS RUNNING LOOSE. I MUST HAVE A SIGN THAT SAYS" SOFT TOUCH,COME ON IN".IF IT GETS LOOSE AROUND HERE IT ENDS UP AT MY HOUSE. AT LEAST THEY ARE SAFE.

 

[Sandee]

Minimor, Lazy J, at least you can say your life isn't boring.

Your stories brought back some enjoyable memories of when I used to work scout camp and we'd get roused at 3 a.m. or 6 a.m to go catch loose horses (well, sometimes loose sleepwalking kids). Please feel free to entertain us with more of your sagas.