Monday, June 20, 2005

runaway cows and rude horses

First of all, let me say that our wandering cow and her two calves are home.  They appeared in the big pasture, not in the pen from which they escaped.  It's a big relief for us.  I guess we'll leave them together, since they are so unhappy apart, and hope the big steer calf can get his share of milk.

Those of you who follow my journal will remember that Blue and Brat ganged up on old Crook when I brought him here, so I've kept him seperate since the beating he took then. 

I turn Blue and Brat out for two hours twice a day, every day, to graze.  Because they are on dry lot twenty hours a day, their minds aren't on much else besides eating, when they're on pasture.  Now that I'm home all the time, I'm going to try slowly re-introducing Crook to them, just for a couple of hours in the afternoon.  As you can see, he keeps a respectable distance.  I saw Brat lay his ears back once and threaten him when he got too close, and perhaps it happened at other times... I've only been periodically checking.  Anyway, it was only a threat; nobody was hurt.  So far, it seems to be working.  Maybe if I do this every day for a while, I can eventually pen them all together.  It would make feeding and watering them much easier.  And Crook wants so badly to be with them.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good luck with the reintroduction.  Maybe you are a "horse whisperer".  Did you read that book?  Did I ask you that already?  

Anonymous said...

If you slowly introduce them.... and they are in an area large enough that the others don't feel their 'space' is being encroached upon... you should have good luck. Usually the horse who is the 'low man' in the pecking order will learn to stay out of the way. As long as there is plenty of food, there shouldn't be any problems. At the barn I board at the only problems come when there are more horses than piles of hay. (we feed everyone there grain in there stalls with the doors closed twice a day so everyone gets all of their OWN grain <g>)

Anonymous said...

Poor old Crook. Hope they soon accept him.  Looks like they are doing pretty good in the picture. Helen

Anonymous said...

I think that astaryth is right. I noticed it here when a new horse comes around. There is a lot of kicking and biting then things settle down. There may be some leg raising or ear laying down but nothing major after a while. Give them room and time.