by Jan Fielden
I was feeding the cows the other day as The Colonel had gone to Palestine. I have fed the cows lots of times and seldom have any trouble…well; one should not gloat too quickly!
I locked the cows in the North East Pasture to keep them out of my way and things were going great. The Yearling Herd was fed first and I gave them an extra bale. Usually they are fed last and not given an extra bale. They were overjoyed!!
Next, I decided to feed the Back Herd because the Middle Herd was locked up and also because the Middle Herd is spoiled rotten. I had the bale on the forks and was tooling down the Sweet Gum Grove road, looked back and there was the bale lying in the road at an angle!
Not only at an angle but also at a drop off point. The road is raised with a deep hole on one side. I could not stab the bale because of the hole and the bale being sideways. I managed to pick the bale up, took it into the Open Pasture, and worked with it to get the strings off.
When I had started out there was one cow standing at the gate into the Back Pasture. By the time I got the strings off and loaded on the forks again, every cow in the Back Herd was standing at the gate!
Deciding to back through the gate into that pasture, I was hoping the cows wouldn’t run pass me and into the Open Pasture.
Got off the tractor, opened the gate and told Patriot, the Back Herd bull, he was not to go into that pasture…I shook my finger at him. Ran back to the tractor and finished backing into their area.
I was shocked that Patriot stood right by the gate staring into the Open Pasture, turned away and walked on from the gate, as if he had understood what I told him!!
The Middle Herd was fed next and I was so proud of them for not causing trouble while they waited their turn. It is not easy to go from being fed first to being fed last.
Most days are good no matter what at the Red Oak Ranch!!
