Cattle Farming Somewhat Woeful Oct. 2008

    Although the cattle on this farm no longer belong to John (and have not belonged to him for several years) one could not tell that by his actions.  He tends the fences, checks the herd daily and reports problems – or corrects them himself.

Recently we had a cattle roundup — it was selling time and what an ordeal that was.  For a day before the calves are hauled they are fastened up in the barn and/or the barn lot and it’s like choir practice.  All the bawling and carrying on you’ve never heard.  It does make me feel sorry for the mothers as well as the young.  I guess any mother could relate to such — especially if she has experienced the empty nest syndrome.

Just last week when John took one of his required walks, he walked the pasture fence as he does oft times.  Oh the back side  he found a cow in labor and we had a doctor’s appointment.  It seems we frequent doctors and drugstores more and more as we get older.  I wonder why.  Anyway, as you know I call John the Foreman and the owner the CEO.  Thank goodness for cell phones – as we traveled along the dirt road we called the CEO (who hauls chickens) and told him about the cow (his shift ends about mid morning).  When he checked on the problem he found the calf had to be pulled.  The calf was breach, but he was very lucky in the pulling; both mother and baby lived.  However, the front hooves of the baby were turned back and the calf looked as though it was talking on tiptoes. Both men thought (and still do) that would correct itself in a few days; however, so far the calf is still tiptoeing, but is growing and progressing well.  As luck would have it, while the cow and new calf were recouping in the barn a neighbor came with truck and trailer to pick up his steer that had gotten in our pasture. Needless to say, he had to be sent away until the cow/calf pair had been turned out to pasture.  Just another minor problem.  John would like to buy the steer for slaughter; however, we have no freezer space.

Every morning John checks the fence charger to see if all is well.  I don’t have a clue what he talks about, but I listen to remarks like, “It lights up all five lights,” or “something has it shorted out.”  If it’s “shorted out” then I know he’s off on another jaunt.  He used to go on the golf cart, but he is not allowed to ride over the bumps and rough ground (heart surgery) yet so he walks to look for the problem. The charger they use is supposed to make the electric fence hot for one hundred miles, but this one only goes around 25 acres and that is far from one hundred miles.  Usually it’s a weed across the fence that has it “shorted out,” but sometimes it’s a tree down across it — so the severity of the problem varies. At one time when the charger was messed up my computer wouldn’t work!  They did get that straightened out — I think it was something about a ground wire???

The cattle here  know John and John knows them.  With all the pea picking and shelling we’ve done of late, he has spoiled the heifers in the lower pasture with pea hulls.  If they see him in the area with a  bucket, they come running — they’re always looking for a handout.

Another woe – yesterday when the CEO came by to check on the herd, John climbed in the truck and away they went to do some deep checking.  What they found was aggravating and meant work.  A cow in this pasture was in season and the herd in the adjoining pasture had torn down the fence and ALL the cows were in our pasture.  What a mess.  That neighbor has two bulls and, apparently, they were looking for fun and games!  John was quite upset about the fence — it’s on our property, but the other man has been using it.  As far as I can tell. they had a very frank discussion and maybe that cattle farmer will put up a fence on his side of the line.  We’ll see. The two young men watched in awe as John very quietly walked this herd up to another pasture.  He contends if you get them riled and upset you might as well quit and come to the house.  Four wheelers are not allowed in the Crumly pasture!!!  This is just a glimpse of a few woes of cattle raising and country living.