One morning I walked into the barn and was met with instructions: “We’ll get that new heifer in after milking.”
It wasn’t a question; it was a statement. I understand how his mind works. The unspoken part of those instructions told me when it was time to feed heifers, I needed to secure the headlocks in the locked position. That way, when I divide the three skid steer buckets full of feed to them, they stick their heads down to eat and get locked in, and then my husband can easily slip a belt around the heifer’s neck that needed to come in. She was due to calve in about two weeks.
That morning was extra busy. Not only did we have to move a heifer but our new piglets were scheduled to be delivered, too. We’ve had a nice, diligent fella scout the auction barn for a number of weeks now, waiting to snatch just two pigs from the bunch of swine going through. We like to raise a couple of pigs on our own every year. In that way we can monitor what they eat and how they’re treated. Also, we just get a kick out of watching them grow.
When we move heifers from the heifer barn to the cow barn, my husband has things set in place to make this work as easily as possible. The heifer barn has three pens housing small, medium and large heifers, separated by hinged gates that can be unlocked and swung wide.
The bred heifers are in the larger pen, and these are the animals that when their due date comes near, must be moved into the cow barn to get accustomed to the daily routine and the feed. The sights and sounds of the cow barn are different, they have to get used to milkers coming in along either side of them, the grain being fed in front of their face, getting locked in and let out every day. Everything is new and somewhat startling before they calm down and adjust.
This particular day husband strategically set the tractor and wagon in one spot, and after I was done feeding, I parked the skidster at an angle to guard another area. In that manner, he and I can cover more space where an uneasy animal may venture.
Everything is different to them, so we take it slow and laid-back, bringing her through the pens and out the last gate. She then walks down a little lane and into the cow yard. It actually went exactly as planned. This part is usually the easiest.
We moved a heifer last week and she seemed mild mannered. I thought, oh, piece of cake. Well, she got into the barn and the sounds must have frightened her. Our daughter was helping her dad that night getting the heifer in her new stall for the first time. She went in her spot but as my husband was easing himself in next to her to secure the stanchion head lock, she went ballistic and kicked high and hard, missing him by a hairsbreadth. (Later, at supper, daughter was recalling just how close it was and her eyes were wide, face lit up. She was “this” close to seeing her dad get walloped.)
The same morning we got the heifer in the cow yard our new pigs were delivered. We had just gotten the milking and feeding done, the heifer settled and were finishing cleaning up the barn. We were about to head into the house for breakfast when the pigs came. Backing the truck as close to the pen as possible, we motioned for him to stop. The trucker hoisted himself into his trailer and corralled one piglet, handing him over to my husband who delivered him safely into the pen. I manned the gate. So far, so good.
The transfer of the second pig from trucker to hubby didn’t go as well and the piglet busted loose, running around the cow yard. Between my husband and me, we kept him from getting through the fence. He’d still be on the loose if he’d have squeezed through the fence! That was clear — going right down to the woods!
We were chasing that pig and he was running for dear life, squealing like crazy. Boy, their little legs can scramble! He got himself into the barn, through a calf pen and sent the calves into an uproar, running round and round their pen. This bunch had never laid eyes on a pig before and probably thought, “What. The. Heck. Is. THAT?” Eye level to hooves, the pig probably thought the same about the calves!
Eventually we got him into the pen with his companion, brought them water and some food, and within just a little while, they were both happily chomping on cracked corn and pig starter and had even found their water. They were famished from their adventure, I’m sure.
We watched them settle in for a bit and finally went to the house to eat breakfast. With our regular chores, in addition to the heifer and the pigs, we had worked up an appetite of our own!
(“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31)
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