Another fun day at the farm. Saturday the weather was cool to start the day, but it warmed up fast. I am implementing a rotational grazing program and have been running fence lines in the south pasture to start the rotation. After alot of hard work for two weeks, many pairs of ripped jeans, cut up hands, legs and arms, we were ready for cattle in the first paddock.
The major task for the day was to move the cattle from the north pasture to the south pasture into the first paddock. There is a 150 yard trail that runs from the north to south pasture through the woods. Part of the trail had been flooded, thanks to the beavers, and was very muddy. When you walked through it, you sank about six inches in mud. My major concern was keeping the cattle from dispersing into the woods, so I stationed Jeanine and her dad along the tree line. Ami and I would drive the cattle from the north to south pasture. Well we got off to a good start, but when the cattle reached the top of the hill in the north pasture they turned and ran all the way back to the water trough. This is 30 acres, not a small field. So we ran to the water trough and started moving them again. When we got them to the top of the hill they turned again and ran down to the bottom of the pasture. By now Ami and I were exhasted (me more than her). We slowed things down and concentrated on moving mama and Uno the calf, hoping the rest would just follow. They did just that. Finally they crested the hill, realized what I wanted them to do, and took off at a full run toward the open gate and the trail through the woods. Jeanine and her dad were a little frightened with a herd running full speed right at them, but they held their ground and the cattle followed the trial through the woods. At that point Ami and I decided we were tried and true cowpokes. The cattle were happy once they got into the 3 foot tall grass.
Later on Jeanine harvested alot of veggies from her garden, and her and her mom worked there the rest of the day. Ami went back to working her horses, and I started my next chore.
The major task for the day was to move the cattle from the north pasture to the south pasture into the first paddock. There is a 150 yard trail that runs from the north to south pasture through the woods. Part of the trail had been flooded, thanks to the beavers, and was very muddy. When you walked through it, you sank about six inches in mud. My major concern was keeping the cattle from dispersing into the woods, so I stationed Jeanine and her dad along the tree line. Ami and I would drive the cattle from the north to south pasture. Well we got off to a good start, but when the cattle reached the top of the hill in the north pasture they turned and ran all the way back to the water trough. This is 30 acres, not a small field. So we ran to the water trough and started moving them again. When we got them to the top of the hill they turned again and ran down to the bottom of the pasture. By now Ami and I were exhasted (me more than her). We slowed things down and concentrated on moving mama and Uno the calf, hoping the rest would just follow. They did just that. Finally they crested the hill, realized what I wanted them to do, and took off at a full run toward the open gate and the trail through the woods. Jeanine and her dad were a little frightened with a herd running full speed right at them, but they held their ground and the cattle followed the trial through the woods. At that point Ami and I decided we were tried and true cowpokes. The cattle were happy once they got into the 3 foot tall grass.
Later on Jeanine harvested alot of veggies from her garden, and her and her mom worked there the rest of the day. Ami went back to working her horses, and I started my next chore.
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