Yesterday was the day. The girls went to pasture for the first time this year. It was peaceful compared to some years. Instead of keeping them in the barnyard while we let them all out of the barn, one by one, we opened the gate to the temporary field before we started.
At first they congregated in the barnyard, fighting off their grudges and wandering around. Then they saw that gate and all but the dumbest young ones were gone.
They didn't mess around with their usual running up and down the hill either, but just fell to grazing like it was their job....oh wait ...
When time came to put them back in the barn all that petting and fussing and calling them Boo Boo all winter paid off. Although we never did get wild and crazy Gracie back in the barn (she will probably come in on her own this morning and be glad of the opportunity), the other youngsters came in real well and let us talk them into their stalls without fuss.
Even Egypt (Boo Boo) and Carlene, who stand side by side, went right to each other's stalls and waited to be locked up. A little talking and pushing and they went back where they belonged. Lucky gets the gold star though. She ran right to her stall and started eating. I couldn't believe it.
For a few weeks it will take a crew to bring them in, as we stall train all those youngsters, but they sure did have a nice time yesterday and came in all fat with green grass and shiny with sun polish.
Here's hoping the grass in the other pastures gets going so we can start rotating and turning out yearlings...the temporary field has only single strand electric and the babies aren't fence broke. Thus we prefer to turn them out in the big heifer pasture, where there is both barbed wire and electric, for the first few weeks. Then they are sure to see the fence before they crash through.
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8 comments:
It's like having some really huge dogs. lol
Cows always seem to have the same politics every year and every time we change fields or mix one bunch with another......glad to see ours aren't the only ones;)
I love it that you call all your cows by name and know each one's personality. Do you think they love getting outside in the spring as much as we do?
Dani, it really is! We have this very old Jersey that Liz used to show. She is pretty slow with arthritis and not looking the best, so we let her and another older cow be outside at night. Neither of them would go anywhere even if the fence was down. As I came down from opening the pasture gate for them old Heather stood there staring at me just willing me to stop and scratch her head. so I did....she just stood there in the yard lapping it up. If she could have crawled in my lap I swear she would have. (glad she didn't. lol)
Linda, I am dreading letting the yearlings out with them. Man there will be some wars then.
WW, Yeah, I think they do, but they have a hard time making up their minds. They love routine so they want to be out but they want to be back in too. I swear they are like cats...always on the wrong side of the door...or gate, or fence.
"...all fat with green grass and shiny with sun polish."
I love that description. They sound so . . . voluptuous!
I so enjoy your posts. You take me back to our milking days. And to have the cow run right in a put her head in the station and start eating...priceless!
Linda
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June, a perfect word for them! You can do a good job caring for a cow almost anywhere. They are stout and stalwart and strong...but dang, do they love grass! lol
Linda, lol, she is pretty amazing. They are all but a couple doing pretty good now and even the worst of them are doing better.
Awww . . "shiny with sun polish"
Now that's just lovely :0)
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