A couple of weeks ago we turned Bruce, Broadway's last year's bull calf, in with the four heifers. He has always been very quiet.
Frankly, I am not crazy about the quiet ones...bulls that is....because you tend to get complacent around them, and then bad things happen.
Bruce has been a little off the past week so the boss went into the pen to doctor on him, got it done, and turned to leave. The little bull instantly attacked him, drove right into him with his head and nearly put him on the ground.
I was hobbling across the barnyard in my usual lame-footed gait and saw it all.
The boss hollered, "Bring me a stick!", but by the time I got there, the bull had gone after him again, and he had grabbed him by the head, turned him into the gate and got him to stop.
Yowsa! He is just a little bitty bull. He has always been very calm and timid. But wow!
Next time we handle him he is going to get a ring in his nose if I have any say about it.
Of course, his behviour is pretty understandable. A bull is a bull is a bull. I have been violently attacked by day-old calves when they feel threatened or frightened. And getting medicine is probably scary.
But the barnyard rules have changed now. No going across without a stick when the young stock are out of the pen. And not the plastic water pipe we usually use to deter violent stock either. Noisy, but totally harmless. Nope, this requires a real stick!
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8 comments:
One word: Veal
Exactly. My well polished chestnut stick is well polished from carrying it.
I'll be glad when our rental bull is gone on to different pastures.
I'm glad The Boss is okay. And yes ... a BIG stick.
Big sticks have a voice all their own. Outstanding photo--have to look closely--it looks like a painting at first glance.
IS RALPH ALRIGHT?!?!? Getting hit like that can break bones and crack skulls!!!
Please let us know!!!!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
My dads cow stick was so smooth it looked like it had been sanded and polished, he carried it a lot but seldom had to use it. I guess a big stick and soft voice worked for him.
Yikes! Hope your husband recovers. When I was growing up in the country near cattle, we were severely warned to stay clear of bulls, even young ones. I wonder if being in with the heifers got his testosterone raging, and wakened an instinct to drive other males away from his harem.
Joated, I like the way you think
Nita, he had us fooled. Not again!
Rev. Paul, yeah, he's fine. And a stick is a point of contention between us. I always at least carry one of those plastic jobs when working stock. I am slow and not young and even the gentlest, sometimes especially the gentlest, will take liberties if they can. He won't. He should
12Paws, exactly! They make you seem a lot more impressive. thanks for your kind words. That photo was just a fluke, snapped in a moment from our local apple orchard. I like it too though and have it as my desktop background.
Linda, a little achy but otherwise fine. Could have been a lot worse if the little bugger got him down, but he didn't. He just won't carry a stick.
Ellie, I used to have a straight hickory branch that was like that, all smooth and light with age. Alas it broke one day.
Jacqueline, I am sure you are exactly right about the motivation for the attack. We may have to sell him sooner than we want to. He stood up to me yesterday, only through the gate, but he stood up to me and didn't want to back down. Not good. Ralph is fine btw. He is a tough one, and was sore for a while, but back to baling and storing hay by noon yesterday. He has put up a mow full of heavy, large bales, virtually all by himself this summer. I don't know how he does it at his age!
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