The Mysterious Case Of The Missing Cow...

I went out to do chores this morning..

Nothing unusual, there....

Anyway, "Stevie Wonder" - the blind calf - was doing his running around in circles thing. He doesn't do it ALL of the time, just when he's bored, thirsty, hungry, lonely, lost, trapped, being bothered by the goats, when the goats AREN'T bothering him, etc, etc,...

OR - when he can't find his "girlfriend" - Belle (that's the name we came up with for the heifer....).

Well, this morning I couldn't find his girlfriend, either! Usually, she's playing tricks on the blind guy, and laying down a few feet away, hiding in the grass. I walked the fence line TWICE, checked under a wagon I have in the pen, under the trees, behind the chicken house, UNDER the brooder house - EVERYWHERE in the pen, but no Belle.

Since she doesn't know her name - and wouldn't admit it if she did - there was no way she was gonna come when I called. The only thing I could do was feed Stevie, get the two milk goats I'm currently milking, into the barn, and feed the others before the riot started.

Once that was accomplished, people quieted down so I could figure out where the cow went in peace...

I knew that both cows had been to the pen behind the barn before - after all - the gate IS open - but they've never split up before. I searched the barnyard, but no Belle (yes, there ARE places for a calf to hide in my barnyard....).

Then I noticed that the dairy goats had "THAT" look on their faces, and where all looking into the pen BESIDE the barn. If you've ever seen the look I'm talking about, you'll know - it's the one of utter and complete disgust and disbelief at something they see.



In this case, it was Belle, having a good time chowing down on grass & weeds that THEY were supposed to be eating! After a few stomps, and a few snorts, they proceeded into the pen to reclaim their stake in the food.

Belle ignored them completely.....



They made a HUGE show of eating as much as they could - and made sure Belle was able to see that the food was THEIRS.



Belle ignored them completely.....



More snorting, more stomping, prancing around, head butting, and even some worried looks.....



Belle ignored them completely....



Once I finished with chores, I started to work on a fence project in the area. It was more then Belle could take, so she left the pen to the goats.

THEY, decided that - with the cow gone - the need to "defend" their territory had also left, so they came out to pester ME.



And I'm not a threat to eat their food.....I think they were just in a "pestering" kind of mood today. Just look at the smile on Topaz's face. She just WANTS to cause trouble...

All three of them took turns chewing - and scratching - on my walking stick.

At least I found the cow....