Obsessing Over Cows

I woke with a start yesterday at 6:00 am to the bellering of a bull. Since the windows of the house were all closed and the air conditioning running, it was a pretty loud beller to wake me. I decided I'd better get up and check on him, as you never know what kind of trouble a bull can cause himself and others. That began my day of obsessing about cattle.

I noticed that all the AI'd cows were up at the barn getting water and that Bobby and his two girls were talking through the fence at them.  That probably explained the beller from Bobby and that might mean one of the AI's didn't take and a cow was in heat.

As it turned out, Bobby and my big red heifer Juliette were trying to get to each other through the fence.  She didn't look like she was in heat when I checked for signs, but she sure acted like she wanted to spend time with Bobby. After a little messing around with cows and gates I managed to move Juliette in with Bobby's little herd and made a mental note to mark the calendar. Juliette is for sale and I planned to place the sale ads for her this weekend. I'd need to note her AI status and the fact that she was "pastured exposed" to Bobby.

I went about my business, feeding and watering chickens, checking the garden etc. and the next thing I know, Bobby and Juliette are fighting. This was not the activity I had expected but I ignored them and went on with my chores.  Pretty soon I saw Bobby trotting down through the pasture by himself with a definite air of looking for something.  I checked around and could not find Juliette. A bit of trampled fence seemed to indicate that she had broken through the fence to return to her herd. Trouble is she would have jumped into Thor's territory. Then I looked around and couldn't find Bobby. Thoughts of Bobby in Thor's territory and pictures of Thor throwing Bobby down a steep hill into a creek ravine plagued me enough to send me looking for him.

That began the first of three trips through the farm yesterday in 99 degree weather hunting for cows. I looked first for Bobby in his own pastures and could only find Misty and Bramble panting in the shade on the far eastern property line. I was sure Bobby had followed Juliette into Thor's territory. I then checked the AI cow's pastures, found Juliette but no Bobby. Thor came up to the salt feeder with part of his herd, but no Bobby. Did I mention Bobby is an outstanding registered Black Angus bull, sired by the top Angus bull in the breed and worth many several thousand dollars? I tramped the whole of Thor's territory again which is about 45 acres of woods and pastures. No Bobby.

By then end of the day, after three trips through the whole farm I found that Bobby had never left his pastures, Thor and his crew were in the highest, most dense part of the woods on the property line as far west from my house as possible, and Juliette happily back with her little herd and showing no signs of being in heat. With a strong sense of the futility of the entire day, I headed for the shower.