Ring around the Heifer

(*ahem...we begin this post with a sincere apology for the month long absence...the month of August was too hot and dry for blogging, all my words turned to dust before my fingers could type them out. Thank you for your continued patience...)

Really I need to bring my camera with me in the mornings when I go up the road to feed and check on the stock. Last week there was a doe and her twins out feeding by the road. Today...well, today was another story. It began yesterday actually.

Since it has been so dry hubby has had to put out hay for the bull and heifer group up the road. Yesterday morning they had finished their hay, and for some reason their hay ring was up on its side a ways away from where it had been around the hay bale. Hubby went up there and put out another bale (these are the big round bales, by the way...maybe 4'x5'.).

Then this morning I go up there and notice that not only is the hay ring no longer around what's left of the bale of hay, but it is about 100 yards away, in its normal position (not up in the air on its side) with a heifer inside of it.

*sigh* These boneheads can get themselves in the strangest situations.

So I go in there and with some gunting and hoisting I tip it up on its side again to let the heifer out. She goes walking off.

But wait. I stand there and watch her; all she does is walk in circles. She walked over to the fence, up the fence, into the corral which is next to the fence as though she is going to try to get something to eat. But she ignores the feed bunks and just stands there with her nose against the bars.

I went over to the next pen and fed the dry cows. Then looked again at the heifer. She's still standing there.

So, I had to investigate further. I went back over and shoo-ed her out of the corral and watched her from there. She kept just walking around, occasionally she'd stumble slightly. She walked toward the pond where I thought she'd take a drink. Nope. Just walked around it, kept walking around and around and back and forth.

I noticed she had marks behind her front legs where the metal ring had stained her. She must have walked around with that hay ring on her, trying to get out of it. I think she must have been addled. I certainly hope she comes out of it.

I will see tomorrow.

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