Cows are Funny
It is finally spring here in the Missouri Ozarks. The cows are happy to forego the hay and nosh on grass and clover. There is a pasture to the west of the farm barnyard here where hubby puts the milking herd at night in the spring. He has kept this pature shut up until now because he had to put up cattle panels to protect some new equipment we put out there this winter. So the grass and clover are ankle deep; lush and green.
Last night, for the first time in months, hubby opened the gate and let the cows go out there after milking. Boy did they ever enjoy it.
They enjoyed it so much that in the morning they were rather uninterested in coming into the barn to eat during milking. Hubby said he opened the door for the first batch, all of which usually come into the barn voluntarily, and they all just stood there and looked at him. He had to go out and coax them in. They'd filled up on green stuff.
So, after milking in the mornings in spring and summer, they are usually eager to head down over the hill to the creek bottoms. Meh. No. Not this morning.
They went over to the gate leading to the west pasture. They wanted out there again. That was some GOOOOD stuff out there. Ha ha. Hubby had to chase them off down the hill to the creek bottoms.
But at noon they had all come back up from the creek bottoms and were standing at the gate to the west pasture again. In ELEVEN years I have never seen them do this before.
Hubby had to chase them off again. I laughed and laughed.
But that's not all.
Over winter we had about 15-20 (I lost count) heifers freshen, that is, have calves and join the milking herd.
After milking last night, when the rest of the herd beat feet out into the newly opened pasture, about a 8-9 of these heifers just stood there at the gate. When we headed to the house they were still standing there, watching their colleagues walk by them into the tall green grass and wondering what to do.
When hubby went out at 4:30 am to do the round up, there STILL stood 4 of those new heifers.
They stood there; at a 16 ft wide gate, ALL NIGHT! Watching 40 some other cows chomp down on ankle-high, lush green grass.
Why?
I dunno. Cows are just funny like that.
But tonight, we watched and yes, they finally ALL went into the west pasture after milking. There is some sort of message in this story, but I am not ordained to preach and it is beyond me to ferret it out at this moment!
Ha ha!
Last night, for the first time in months, hubby opened the gate and let the cows go out there after milking. Boy did they ever enjoy it.
They enjoyed it so much that in the morning they were rather uninterested in coming into the barn to eat during milking. Hubby said he opened the door for the first batch, all of which usually come into the barn voluntarily, and they all just stood there and looked at him. He had to go out and coax them in. They'd filled up on green stuff.
So, after milking in the mornings in spring and summer, they are usually eager to head down over the hill to the creek bottoms. Meh. No. Not this morning.
They went over to the gate leading to the west pasture. They wanted out there again. That was some GOOOOD stuff out there. Ha ha. Hubby had to chase them off down the hill to the creek bottoms.
But at noon they had all come back up from the creek bottoms and were standing at the gate to the west pasture again. In ELEVEN years I have never seen them do this before.
Hubby had to chase them off again. I laughed and laughed.
But that's not all.
Over winter we had about 15-20 (I lost count) heifers freshen, that is, have calves and join the milking herd.
After milking last night, when the rest of the herd beat feet out into the newly opened pasture, about a 8-9 of these heifers just stood there at the gate. When we headed to the house they were still standing there, watching their colleagues walk by them into the tall green grass and wondering what to do.
When hubby went out at 4:30 am to do the round up, there STILL stood 4 of those new heifers.
They stood there; at a 16 ft wide gate, ALL NIGHT! Watching 40 some other cows chomp down on ankle-high, lush green grass.
Why?
I dunno. Cows are just funny like that.
But tonight, we watched and yes, they finally ALL went into the west pasture after milking. There is some sort of message in this story, but I am not ordained to preach and it is beyond me to ferret it out at this moment!
Ha ha!
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