Training

The problem with training animals not to think for themselves and to just follow orders is that they stop thinking. Yesterday we expanded the training area to include an additional acre of fresh grazing grass. Marian, our oldest mama cow, or the good one as I like to call her as she is the only animal who hasn't made an escape attempt. Where was I, oh yes, Marian has been so well trained to the electric fence training area that now she will not cross the imaginary line of where the wire used to be. :( She keep mooing at the the others as they frolic in the newly expanded area. I have even given them a great bunch of trees that they can get shade under.

Quinn, the only one that has never had any electric fence training was the first out in the new area and he loved it. I laughed so hard as he jumped and skipped around. Then he decided to investigate the strange smooth wire. Turns out that that surprised look humans get when they are shocked does translate into cow very well, lol. He continued to investigate the wire all around, it was hilarious to watch his eyes light up as he jumped back from the sting. I'm sure that sounds mean but it was really funny. I am really pleased to see that he has assimulated into the herd after his stint in isolation, I was afraid that they would reject him as they had when he first came home.

All in all the lesson here is don't train animals/people to stop thinking on their own. With animals it is very tempting but it is equally tempting with children. Ultimately the consequences are the same, if they stop thinking they could end up starving because they can't cross the imaginary line.