Comfortable Pampering

We waited an extra day before sorting out the weaner-ed calves from the main herd because of the warm weather. Heat adds stress to an animal if they are jostled around like sorting or loading when they are used to just hanging around in large fields or contently grazing around thick underbrush. Instead of closing the herd in the small pasture around the barn, we moved them back from the far, far field and gave them a good dinner of hay before letting them roam for an extra day. The four calves with the green weaner clips in their noses were right in with the herd and their clips were not bothering the eating process aside from not letting them nurse.

On the day with clouds and a sprinkle in the air and not actually hitting the ground, we moved the stock trailer into position and moved the herd into the small pasture for a good clean up session on the clover that had rebounded after hay harvest, then opened the barn door and let the herd trickle in to eat hay.

The four weaner-ed calves came inside as well and we coaxed them past the critters that already had their heads and necks into the mangers to the far end of the barn where the stock trailer stood open. After latching a couple of gates behind the four calves, they had no choice but to load into the unfamiliar trailer where Mike locked the door to secure them safely inside.

While the rest of the main herd was eating, Mike drove across the river, up the county road, in the driveway and out to the show barn where I had a pen set up. Simply opening the door, the four unloaded easily where I had hay awaiting them in their own manger. We gated them into this pen so they could get acquainted with their new surroundings and walked back across the river to open up the barn and let the rest of the herd out to graze on pasture.

Within 24 hours I had all the clips removed and the calves all eating with gusto away from the rest of the herd.