I Got My Satisfaction

Yesterday, I had to help Glenn separate cattle.  A man was coming to purchase some of our South Poll calves and our main herd bull, also South Poll, Little Red Jr.

 

Bye, Little Red Jr.

 

Becky was working at one of her other jobs, so Glenn’s only option was me.  Good or bad, he had no other choice.

 

I have been trying to do less farm work because Becky has taken over most of my past duties, I am not very comfortable around the animals that are many times my size and many more times my weight, and quite frankly I have been involved with a myriad of other activities that consume, in a good way, my time. Reading, writing, photography, quilting come to mind as activities more to my current liking. Separating cattle…not!

 

Getting into a small enclosure, approximately 20 feet by 20 feet, with the entire herd of calves, yearlings, cows and several bulls nervously moving around did not appeal to me or my senses.  But, Glenn could not complete the task alone and we were under a time restriction.  Our buyer was arriving at 1:00 PM to load his purchases. Glenn worked (open and shut) the gates as I weaved around the animals trying to coax the right animals to the gate.

 

We had several different groups to which we had to separate the herd.  The calves and Little Red Jr. for the buyer, the cows and young bulls that were to remain on the farm, cows with young calves and heifers to be moved to Becky’s farm, and cows that needed to be pregnancy checked.

 

I pulled on my boots, put on my hooded sweatshirt, layered with my bulky down jacket, grabbed my gloves and was ready to go.  Because the ground was wet and muddy, Glenn drove the tractor down to the working area in case he had to pull the buyer, his truck and his loaded livestock trailer back up the hill…he did.  I drove the mule.  Three dogs followed. 

 

The fun began.

 

Due to the placement of the ewes and spring lambs in different pastures, we had to open and close five gates on our way to the working area. I hate having to stop, exit vehicle, open gate, get back into vehicle, drive through the open gate, stop, get out of vehicle, chain gate, get back into vehicle, and drive off.  This scenario was repeated five times.  I was tired before I even met up with the cattle.

 

I took a deep breath, entered the enclosure, and started moving the livestock around and moving one animal at a time through the open gate into another holding area.

 

Becky’s dog, Sammy, was too involved with the process and created more chaos than we needed, so he was put into solitary into our empty stock trailer standing nearby.  The cattle soon settled down and were, for the most part, quite cooperative.

 

Not one cow, calve or bull charged me.  That was huge to my peace of mind and to my overall calmness.

 

A few hours later, the task had been complete.  It was 12:50 PM. There were no hostile incidences.

 

South Poll calves - SOLD!

 Becky had a break from work and arrived just as we finished. 

 

We were done.  I felt energized for a job well done on my part.

 

Glenn expected no less from me.  A ‘at-a-boy’ might have been in order from him.

 

Unfortunately, the only patting of my back was from my own hand. 

 

And, I’ll take it!