The fence test

Today we discovered just how much calves are like toddlers, if there's a way out; they'll find it. We went to sign up at the farmer's Co-op this morning and pick up a 2 weeks supply of range cubes, not to mention find out about getting on the propane route. Anyway, we get home with the propane guy only to find the older calf roaming the yard and panicing her mama and the others. Once they realised we were home, it made them even more stressed. Her mama tired everything to get her back in, including mooing very loudly (it was obvious she was going to be in trouble), she even tried to get out of the barn - thankfully she could not. She finally resurfaced back in the corral, STRESSS!!

Well we figured out that she go out via my soon to be garden patch so I left dh to fix the area and I went to pay for the propane. I also went looking for another watering trough. I picked him up so we could go check out the sale barn - a live auction that occurs in the community center on Saturday mornings when it's not too hot out (this is the last until July). It was great, I bought several framed pictures and a small set of china. The kids and I had our very own tea party :) Then we went to the other sale barn just outside town which is the livestock version and it was quite boring by comparison except that we got to meet a neighbor who offered to mow our lawn with his tractor while we are getting our riding mower looked at. Country neighbors rock :)

So we come home after all of that to find the new baby roaming the yard, thankfully she is not as timid, so I was able to get her back in the gate. Her mama was really mad though, partly because sammy aka dumb dog, kept chasing the baby which drives her crazy usually and she attacks him, and partly because she had no control to protect her baby. I totally got it!! Mr bull did not take kindly to her escape trick and is still holding a grudge :( He walked right up to her as she was resting later this evening and hit her in the gut with his head and horns, OUCH!! He seems to be taking the calves to task and instituting some kind of cow discipline, and both of their mamas are staying out of it. He may be young but he is assuming his role as herd sire very nicely. We'll see how well he performs his other duties later.

We have shut the barn doors better now and that should end our calf wandering days.