I drove Southern Belle and Quicksilver to the Detroit airport. All parking in the ramp was full and drivers were being diverted to "the green lot" or to drop-off.
Southern Belle opted for drop-off. She was absolutely loaded down with baggage. Obviously, I could not leave the vehicle. She and Quicksilver made it to the gate but I am sure it was a hard slog.
Shipping cattle
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| I have been feeding the steer in the shipping coral. The two pallets really threw him for a loop. |
I have been fretting about getting the steer comfortable with the idea of getting up into the trailer.
Cows are not very smart.
Cows are cowards and are easily frightened by new environments.
The fix, I think, is to simulate (from the cow's perspective) what is different about entering the trailer. The steer will be going into the dark, something that they prefer not to do. He will be stepping on a strange surface that will make noise.
I moved the shipping coral to avoid having to drive over a soft-spot in the pasture. I also started simulating the trailer. I added a couple of pallets to mock-up the sides of the trailer. Then I will bend a hoop over the top and add a tarp over the top and in front of the cow. The final step will be to slide an old, steel door so he must stand on it to get to his grain. I have about three weeks to train him to associate "dark", "enclosed" and "strange floor" with food.
Tomato seeds
I could not hold myself back any longer. Carmello, Estiva, Stupice and Orange Icicle. I will probably plant them in a 4-3-2-1 ratio, respectively.
I used to feed treats in my hauling trailer. They associated the trailer with treats.
ReplyDeleteMy handicap is that the trailer is an 8-hour rental. I cannot feed treats in the trailer because I don't have the trailer until the morning "Ted" has a date with the butcher.
DeleteI got tired of borrowing trailers and bought a well-used gooseneck for maybe $1,500. I’d start putting a nice flake of alfalfa in the back, then moved it closer to the front each couple days. We had apple trees and the cows loved windfalls, so those went in the last week. They loaded themselves on locker day.
Deletego yto youtube look up temple grandin
ReplyDeleteshe tells how cows think should help you
very interesting
I am already a fan.
DeleteGet some sweet feed. Its a dirty trick, but his belly is his weakness. Just like coffee and chocolate chip cookies. Woody
ReplyDeleteOr that internet meme with a "daisy dukes" kinda lookin girl, 5-pack of beer, beckoning into a dark barn....
DeleteAnd then I woke up in the hospital with 1 kidney!
Oh come on,... You only really need one! :) Besides chicks dig scars and good story.
DeleteLong time ago the farmer I was working for offered me a deal on the bull he had been using when he was short handed and didn’t have time for AI. The trick was I had to arrange for him to be custom butchered ASAP! We ended up shooting him and dragging him into the truck with a winch. To say he was a handful is an understatement. Stupice is one of the tomato varieties I’ll grow for my green house. Here in Alaska I mostly grow short season ones like Early Tanana and Subarctic 25 also Siberia. I filled pots yesterday and will start them tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteYou need a Judas goat.
ReplyDeleteI rented 90 acres and house for my horses. Landlord had cows on his 120 acres. Now this guy had a big nightclub and was into bringing the acts home and had a large raised area for them to play behind the house. So cow got out one day and 5 ended up on the raised area. They made the 4 steps up ok but were still there bawling their heads off. Called neighbor who had a vet with him from across the road, landlord lived 55 miles away, they came over with a ramp and explained that cows can walk up steps but cannot walk down steps. Something in their vision pattern. What a mess to clean up. Cows were back in field by time landlord arrived to fix the fence.
ReplyDelete"cows can walk up steps but not down"..
Deletelittle story about that.
I used to milk 110 holsteins in a double 6 parlor that had a long flight of steps to get down to the milkhouse.
one day a heifer came into the parlor from the exit ramp and fell into the milking pit (where the milker stands to hang milkers ) and the only way to get her out was down those steps because there were bars at headheight at the back of the parlor where the cows came in.
we got her down those stairs. took a few hours of "convincing".
it can be done.
forgot to sign my name
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Great idea... The simulation! I have a heifer I need to haul a few miles in May or June to get bred. She's a lone cow girl with goat friends. I don't have a trailer but can sure do this trick, plus a Judas goat for the ride... Now to work out the ride. There an back in a couple months....
ReplyDeleteLuckily I have two neighbors with trailers but you need a trailer if you are doing beef cattle. I park the trailer right in the main path between the barn and fields a couple days a head of butcher dates. Doors open, sweet feed all over the floor. It takes the threat level down. I really like your conditioning program though, very smart.
ReplyDelete