The other day, while we still had our daughter home to help, we transferred three bred heifers from the heifer barn into the cow barn. The more helpers the better, because there’s a lot of real estate to cover from one barn to the other and plenty of open spaces. My husband had been talking about getting this done for a while, and we set the date before this latest cold snap settled in.
Before feeding them that morning, I set their headlocks in the locked position so when they bend their heads down to eat, the slats would lock shut and, in that way, prevent them from backing out. Later, after milking, my husband secured a neck strap around their necks while waiting for daughter and me to come around.
My husband stood in the heifer barn while I unlocked the ones that we were working with that day. Guiding them through each pen and out into the open, my husband and I brought up the rear while our daughter was waiting to block them from bolting down the driveway.
Quickly, I scampered past them so I could help daughter guard the area she was covering. Before long, I found myself looking up at the sky, as my feet had slid out from under me on the icy driveway. (In time, I developed a rather lovely colored bruise to note the occasion.)
Finally, we corralled them into the gated cow yard and let them get accustomed to that for a bit while we headed (I limped) into the house for breakfast. Later, during mid-morning chores as the cows were let out, they greeted the newcomers by sniffing them and checking them out.
Getting them in their stalls for the first time is challenging. Flabbergasted, they find there’s newness everywhere; the smells, the sounds, the next-door neighbors are all different and overwhelming at first. As well, their winter coats are furry and thick and need to be trimmed to help them adapt to the warm barn.
After a few days of allowing them to adjust to their new atmosphere, my husband cautiously gave them a haircut with a large clippers, ever mindful of their back legs. Each one danced a little at first, and then cranked their head around wide-eyed, to see what the heck was happening now!
Watching my husband shave the animals, I had a flashback to my childhood days when I’d help my dad with this very same thing. As well, we kids would curry-comb cows, but Dad wouldn’t let us groom the new heifers, just the older cows that were mild-mannered. The curry comb was a large, round, metal comb with sturdy, closely-set teeth that was attached to a wooden handle. This was used to brush their backs and even brush out their tail. Their response was to relax into it, raise their tail slightly and lower their head. They were in bliss. The heifers my husband groomed soon found, too, this was something they rather enjoyed.
In addition to grooming our cows, I groom Molly. We have a small, fine-tooth metal brush that I occasionally use outside to take care of her excess loose hair. I love Molly, but I hate dog hair in the house. Molly is not allowed to jump up on any furniture, but that doesn’t stop the hair from floating up there. I vacuum and sweep every day to keep on top of it.
Molly also gets her toenails clipped. Unfortunately, this rather stressful job falls to me. I’m always afraid I’ll get too close! She does not like the vet’s office. Not at all. So her and I go on our back outdoor deck and I tell her, “OK Molly, let’s do this!”
As soon as she sees the clippers she lowers her head and looks at me sheepishly. Seriously, her body language tells me, “Oh, Kay! Not that again!” It’s like she scrunches up her shoulders and makes herself as small as possible. It’s not her favorite thing to do either, although she does like the attention, as I sing-song talk my way through it, to make sure she knows I mean no harm.
Grooming our cows takes a bit of time, but it’s all to make them more comfortable. As for Molly, less hair in the house and no toenail scratches on the floor is more for my comfort!
(“Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.” Proverbs 27:23)
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