Today we had to move our cows… some have newborns… some don’t.

Herding baby calves is much like herding the proverbial cats…

they don’t know what to do…

they don’t know that mom just took 3 steps that a’way…

they have no clue that even if they touch noses with her… that that *really* is their mom…

they don’t know how to walk in mud or across ditches or through brush…

It is practically guaranteed you will lose your temper with something…

The stupid cows

your horse

your dog

your husband

your child.

Take your pick!

Or all of the above…

Here the cows are across the irrigation ditch… with a calf standing in the bottom and two on this side too scared to go down and across!  You have to let them look and pressure at the right moment or they go squirting sideways along the ditch instead of forward across it!

Instructions are given… opinions are asked… have you seen 232?  She doesn’t have her calf…

Instructions are repeated… opinions asked… that 232 cow need to go back and find her baby?

The mile and a half walk is more than enough for some calves.  They lay down to rest hidden in some sagebrush while momma stands near.  Brandon actually has to lift this baby up and set it on its hooves to get it going again.

Then you follow on foot… a horse, even geared down to “granny” gear is too fast for this baby.

Hours later we have most of them where we want them… on clean feed grounds with protection for the unborn in the trees and draws of the new area.  We head to the house at 1:30 to have a late lunch… then we’ll return… and help this baby find its momma… and trail that momma around until she bawls her calf out of the brush… and go make sure that 232 found her baby too!