Friday Farm Fun- Movin' the Boys

I headed out to feed one morning this week and couldn't miss the deep lowing of the bulls. The cows were all out in the pasture but the bulls were missing. And I could tell by the sounds they were making they were making and the return lowing that they were strutting their lungs to another bull.

In other words, they were verbally "bullying" one another.

Not wanting to chase them down if the other bull made a remark that made B.B. and Herfy charge through the fence, I sauntered to the corner of the field they were hanging in. Boots, Molly, and Tink at my heels. Boots has been kicked a time or two by these big boys but she still goes at their heels if asked.  I picked up a stick and told Boots to "Get 'em!"

She rushed up to them and nipped at B.B.'s heels. He kicked out, missing Boots and Molly charged at him barking. Tink hid behind me. I poked at his hip with my stick and told him to get going. About that time, Herfy decided it was wrestlin' time and turned to push on B.B.'s head.

With me poking them with the stick, Boots nipping heels, and Molly barking; we finally managed to get the two squabbling brutes moved along toward the cows and away from the taunting bull.

Any time we slowed our onslaught on them, they would shove heads together and begin pushing to see which one was the toughest. Trying to herd two 2000 pound animals that are focused on each other and nothing else around them is not an easy task.

When we had them close enough they could see the cows, I backed off and watched them "play" for a couple of minutes. Boots watched them intently hoping I'd tell her to "Get 'em" again, Molly found an old ball and wanted to play fetch, and Tink trotted to the house looking forward to snuggling on the couch.

Friday Farm Fun- Making a Farm Dog

Molly helping run calves through the squeeze chute

In October when our younger daughter and her family went back to Alaska they left Molly a female mini-Australian Shepard behind. She wasn't dealing well with their city lifestyle, and so, she is now becoming a farm dog.

She doesn't appear scared of the horses, sniffing around their feet and walking close to them. Now and then, I've had to get after her about running up and barking at them.

The cattle are a different story. My daughter said Molly's scared of cattle. I don't see that in her. She is more aggressive if there's a fence between her and the cattle, but she goes in the field with me and helps/watches Boots work the cattle when we move them.

Boots our Border collie has had the "cow" sense since a puppy. She's taught us more about moving cows than we've taught her. She circles around them and brings them to us if we want them, or she trots back and forth behind them moving them forward. She also knows arm signals. We can point  and wave and she gets behind the cow we point at and moves it into the herd.

Molly and Boots waiting for me to signal

This picture was taken one morning when this group of calves were on the opposite side of the fence as the rest of the herd and were squeezing into the corner trying to get to the others. I had the dogs, chase the calves to the other end and through the gate.

The other evening as we (the dogs and I) were herding the cattle into the field we hold them in at night, I noticed  Molly watching Boots and mimicking her back and forth movement behind the cattle herd. Who knows by the time her family returns she may just be a cow dog and not want to go back to them.