rough morning on the farm

[Madame Marigold]

Oh man, it was a war zone! We finally found a good weekend to try and take some of the cattle to the sale barn. Had the gentleman who sells us hay lend his bigger trailer cause we WERE going to take 6~ 1 BIG bull, 1 BIG cow and 4 oh 600 to 700 pounder's yearling bulls. He had them all locked up in the feed lot last night actually was able to get the other 5 separated the ones we are keeping so we get up early to load up and he needs me out there to help he says. shakes head... big mistake. The bulls are TERRIFIED of me and my Kubota!

anyway I finally direct him and trailer get it all lined up to our chute and we start running them up... get the cow into frontend of trailer easy, but that's when all h*e* double tooth picks breaks out! The big bull IS furious and goes nutz! Busts panels right and left get balled up? in the lane? and have hubby crushed between the big bull and the big metal part of chute crushing him! finally get him freed up (don't know if he is hurt or not he wont say) and back to the fight. At one point I'm using my Kubota to halt them from bending panels out and HE actually almost flipped me! Definitely moved me back~ BIG S%% BULL!

We finally give up and get one of the smaller bulls into trailer and figure 2 is better than none BUT THEN as he pulls trailer out of lot I'm blocking them from getting out into front yard and driveway they come right over and around me (rammed me!) and are running loose. Tearing stuff up! Took us another hour to maneuver them back into feedlot and out into pasture. And it will be at least 3 weeks before we can try this again. WE just have to find another human that can walk and help herd. The Kubota cant do it in such confining spaces. I'm so SORE! and there is so much damage out there~ poor hubby! This was definitely a HELL NO day.....

[Ouroboros]

What a day you had! Next time I think you need a few more wranglers, especially if you are trying to move Bulls. You should have thrown a bunch of feed in there, food is the great motivator. I hope your Hubby is'nt hurt.

[Madame Marigold]

We did throw bunch of feed... he was heading in just find till one of the littler ones was being a jerk and he wanted to hog the feed then balled them both up with dad caught on outside.. he is fine just REAL sore this morning!

So far the baby has sold at a good price the cow is going thru the sale later in the day. This is the part I HATE about being a farmer. I would be dirt poor cause I don't wanna sell any of them! We keep this whole place so calm, quiet, gentle that's why they all freak out (Every species on the place) when any strangers are around. I think the old man who lent him the trailer might be helping with the next batch or the old mans nephews maybe ( don't want the old man cause he is in his 70's BUT he does know how to work cows especially being doing this probably longer than I have been a live) ....

we have nobody else left till son gets out of prison. (makes me want to go back in time and whoop his butt!) I have another nephew (hubbies died in a car wreck 2 years ago)
but this one of mine stole from us once just a minor thing but...hubby will not let me ask and he just hates ask..... even tho we are paying whoever will help! he is such a stubborn man...... we will soon see in a couple of weeks.

[Ouroboros]

I'm glad your hubby survived being squished. I hope everything goes better next time. Hubby and I used to raise a steer at a farm, but they were killed on the farm and did'nt have to be transported to market. I was never around at the killing, I think if I were, I would be a vegetarian by now.

[Madame Marigold]

Thank goodness hubby is a BIG man (6'6, 325lbs). it comes in handy working the bigger critters. Very seldom can they get the better of him.... The biggest bull has now reached the stage were he is not the easy going fella he use to be and is getting to be quite a jerk lately. (plus all the competition) the baby bulls they are now getting big enough to pester and interrupt him... gone from playing to some real dust ups.... I use to hunt but it just seemed different than going to sale markets. I took one sheep and after that I DEF wont use that sale barn again and I just shakes ugghhh hate having to take them. When we got the start of this herd (3 angus cows) the gentleman would come and get any offspring and add to his going to market or swap out but he had a BAD health scare and had to quit the cattle business. So now w are cow poor~ coming out our ears. Had nothing but girls for first almost 10 years it seemed now this last 2 years nothing but boys. :

As far as putting them down I had to do it once.. and I still have nightmares. I don't know why hunting was different but shakes head no I just cant...shudders.. Anyway they earn their keep sorta by mowing for us so.... cant really have a farm without cows! just aint right~

I don't cook enough to warrant trying to butcher our own cow anymore we have considered it but I'm not much help and we don't really have things set up good enough to try it. I was a thought though when we first moved out here.

[Ouroboros]

Having a farm would be a lot of work, when I was young, I thought I would like a farming life. I was madly in love with horses. I also wanted to be a Vet, until I had to take biology and cut things up. Then it was the big NO! I'm fine with having a cat.

[Madame Marigold]

I know I had all these plans about wow soo many things I wanted to try and be but never made it past 8th grade due to health and family.... did learn how to run a house and raise kids (my sisters)
But just thought if cutting up a frog? Would never had been able to do it anyway.

I like being on the farm. The thought of being back around all those people I don't think I would like that anymore. too much NOISE!

[Ouroboros]

Sometimes animals are better company than humans.

[Madame Marigold]

They always have been for me ever since I was a baby.... always got along better with them than humans.. they are easier to understand.....