Bringing the cows home
The wind that I mentioned earlier does actually blow a little at the far end of the farm, and that is where the cows happened to be pastured. So today, we brought them home. Or actually we opened the gate, and they headed for home – lickety split!
I just finished grazing the stockpiled grass, and now I have to start feeding hay. The plan was to haul some hay to the paddock where the cows were going.
You never know when you will need a lookout… .
Or two.
Ruthless and Mel went with the cows through the woods to make sure they stayed out of trouble. ;) Trace and I stayed and took down all the remaining fence and gathered up the fence energizer, battery, water troughs, and mineral box and met everybody at the other end. The difference in the weather was sobering. Ice coating everything – at the house it was much warmer!
They know the way home.
Nice day for a walk, and the cows are much closer now and pastured at the more sheltered part of the farm.
Bet they are happy to be out of that wind and cold.
Serendippity, yeah they would have followed us into the house if we let them :)
It’s nice when they know where to go…….ours are wanting to come home to but we’re hoping to stay grazing ’til the end of the month.
Linda, I was hoping we could hold out that long, but the last freeze ruined the remaining grass – but it’ll be nice to have them closer.
I really appreciate your blog – have looked up info on the chickens, but love reading about it all and seeing the photos.
I was wondering what kind of meat chickens and laying chickens you prefer to raise.
Thanks, Alice
Alice, thank you! We like the Cornish X for meat, they grow quickly and if pastured right, they can enjoy good health and are very tasty. People always put them down, but I like them. It would be great if I had the money to spend raising a different bird for meat, but in our experience it takes almost twice the feed and time for a smaller end result. I just don’t have the time or extra funds to do that. Kind of like comparing a horse to a car. Most people think the idea of a slower paced lifestyle sounds great but the reality is most people these days would choose the car because they can’t afford the time it takes to take a buggy to town, nor the upkeep of the horse. (end of rant)
All the different breeds of laying hens we have raised were all pretty good. I just get hung up on the pretty feathers :) I have to say the last two sets of pullets we raised were very good layers, and they were Sex-Links, another hybrid – but I have 9 young hens right now and I am getting 8 – 9 eggs a day. So they are earning their keep and then some. Hope this helps :)
I would like to go on that jaunt. We did some pasture changes when I was a kid — but it didn’t amount to much… just a gate and a few hooo haas to get them headed in the right direction. Or maybe a few more hoo haas then that.
Pamela, it was fun, they always take off, and we can’t keep up! A long low Come bosssss always works!
Hoo Haa!!
I’m going to try the hoo haas on my kids when it’s time to get out the door. Do you think it will work?
SE, let me know if it does!!
What kind of chickens do you have right now for eggs? I have 2 sexlinks too but I don’t know whose eggs from whose except for the easter egger.
SE, I ordered the Golden Sex-links, and the hatchery lost my order so I ended up with Black Star’s which are a black Sex-link. They are beautiful, and are egg laying fools :)
There are plenty of winds here, we could easily run a turbine. Where is all the snow?
Kim, I bet MM could rig a great turbine. I hate to be adding to his list ;)
The snow is just east of us and all across the US I believe…it appears it has missed us by about 15 miles! I am totally OK with that after last winter!
I loved that you included pictures of your dog helpers. That got me very inspired; I’m writing the farm that raises the dogs I’ll want for my farm, and putting in my order for a pup.
Hoo haw!
Thistledog, how exciting! Our dogs are constant companions – they have a pretty cushy job though. Mainly just lap and watch dogs, with rotational grazing the cows are soooo compliant that the dogs just hunt for field mice while I build fence and move the cows. What a change from my childhood of forcing the cattle everywhere, now they just follow, much easier on all involved!
The ranchers in our area are now starting to bring in the cows for grazing on the farms. I really like having all the cow personalities hanging around talking to our girls. They like to ride the fence the first couple of days, but after that they settle in.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Love your Aussies! I have a dear 3 1/2 year old Aussie who owns the name Tango. She’d love to live on a farm by has to suffer with a dawn walk around the village and an evening mountain climb. As for herding – basically she herds the children at the beach!