It’s Always Something With Livestock
It's always something with livestock. The above picture is brought to you by a curious cow that got her head stuck in our fence... don't worry she was quickly freed and none the worse for wear aha. Animals will be animals... and what that usually means is that they are always smart enough to figure out what they SHOULDN'T be doing. Trust me, if you leave the gate open... they will figure that out immediately. Or leave the keys in the ignition and they will reach in and eat them. The longer I farm the more my thinking goes from "if this goes right this will be nice and easy" to "what is the worst case scenario and lets work this backwards." Don't get me wrong, I don't mean that in a pessimistic way either! It's really more entertaining because I know how quickly things can go south. It's definitely a challenge to out-think the trouble makers on the farm.
Because of this, I have a few hard-learned rules when dealing with livestock:
- That gate that you swore you shut? Just double check it. 5 minutes can save you 2 hours of chasing cows.
- Never work cows against a perimeter fence. Always keep 2 fences between them and freedom.
- There is a distinctive look that a cow will get when they've decided to jump a fence... you better recognize that look and be able to change their mind quickly!
- Two points of contact when tying gates up! Even a small bump from a cow can knock a whole section of gate panels down if not tied properly.
- Always give a cow an out. You don't ever want the decision to be you or them. Ideally, the out should be the outcome we wanted all along (entrance to the next pasture, back of the cattle trailer etc).
- Always come back out the gate you came in. There have been many times I say I'll close it on the way back and then go out a different gate.....and leave the gate wide open. Cows never miss an opportunity.
- It only takes about 3 days of the electric fence being too weak before the cows figure that out and start going where they want.
- When possible let the cows set the pace. If they want to walk, let 'em! Whenever we can let the cow think something is their idea it goes better for everyone.
- Never wait till the day before the butcher date to load. Load them days before and everyone will appreciate the lack of stress.
- Keep your bulls at least 2 fence sections away from the girls!
- DO NOT HAVE MORE THAN ONE CUP OF COFFEE ON CATTLE WORKING DAY!! Cows feel our energy and react accordingly. Ethan (livestock manager) does a great job at this... moving too fast can sometimes be a hindrance.
Every one of these rules has a story behind (sometimes more than just one story aha). I have no doubt this list will continue to grow... but that's what makes farming a challenge.