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Monday, June 14, 2010

Moody Moo-Moo...

I did it again! A totally reprehensible, evil, and malicious thing - and Daisy was NOT happy about it....

It's getting to the time of year where everyone around plays the game with the weather in hopes of cutting and baling hay. A few people got some alfalfa done, but GRASS hay is another story. It seems to rain just about every day - not a LOT, but enough to deter mowing.

The GOOD thing about this is, I have had more time to clean up the barn, and re-arrange things to make room for the hay - and the hay RACK. They way we do it, we back the rack into the barn, and put the hay on top of pallets on the floor. It works pretty good, but there has to be room for the hay rack (wagon, in case you didn't know....) to back into the barn.

Over the past weeks, I have been building the portable stanchion, then "testing", modifications, then getting the cows used to it. Mabel is still pretty much decided she doesn't want to use it (THAT will change), but Daisy makes a bee line to it twice a day. She has figured out that stanchion+food=Happy Cow.

Yesterday afternoon, I threw her a loop - and one she didn't like.

I had a few things, like my stock racks, some metal, etc, etc, that didn't need to be in the way in the barn, so I put them all in one big pile, ready to load into the pickup and take to another shed.

Since Daisy's new stanchion has been sitting in the doorway to the barn, it HAD to move so I could back the truck in.

I didn't know it until it was too late but, Daisy was WATCHING....

I already had the 8N hooked to the stanchion, so I hopped on, fired the tractor up, and looked over my shoulder to make sure I was clear to move. That's when I saw Daisy standing by the corner of the barn, head over the fence, with her "radar" up, wondering what I was doing with her mobile feed pan.

She was concerned, but all "heck" broke loose when her dinner table started to move away from her. She started hollering, and bellering her head off as she watched it roll away. I stopped about 75' from where I started, but she KNEW it was out of reach.

I got off the tractor and headed over to calm her down. Unfortunately, she stomped her feet, shook her head, and snorted at me. I tried to console her, but she got into a "mood" and stomped off before I could get within reach.

Ten seconds later, I see her hind end stomping down the hill, tail swishing back and forth, and her letting everyone in six square miles know she was upset. She stomped her way down the hill, across the creek, and up the hill to the road - the FARTHEST point she could get to in that pasture.

She stood out there, pouting and stamping for at least an hour - until it was supper time. I opened the back door, hollered for the both of them, and watched Mabel trudge on in. Daisy came marching up the hill, still pouting. She followed Mabel inside the barn, and watched her go off to the "big" stanchion in the milk room.

Poor Daisy, she just stood there in the barn, blinking, and wondering if she was going to get fed. She just couldn't believe her eyes when she didn't see the stanchion sitting there, and the pickup in it's place. FINALLY, I had to grab her halter (which she allowed without her normal attempt at making me miss), and lead her to an alternate feed pan I had set up for temporary use.

It took a few minutes, but she eventually got the idea and started to eat. When she finished, she turned around, and started staring at the pickup again, trying to figure out where her normal restaurant went.

I've never seen Daisy that mad! She probably figured she was going to miss supper, and wanted me to know she didn't like the idea.

Geesh! Some people's kids.....

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