Bandit gets out of jail!

[Deleted]

This morning was the big day for Bandit. She got to come out of her corral into the main pasture. Last night we had a monster thunderstorm and probably got 2 or 3 inches of rain, so it was wet and very humid this morning, but that just made for good pictures (misty background and all). They're still in my camera, but I'll post them here a little later.

She was scared to come out at first, and I had to scratch her a little bit and coax her to the gate, but once she was out, she was OUT! LOL! She took off running, here and there, exploring everything! She ran in the barn, out of the barn, over to this side of the corral, then that side of the corral, then off she went across the pasture!

Aiesha was nasty to her, of course, and chased her a little bit, and then Wind and Aiesha both threatened to kick her (but they didn't). I think they were just scandalized by her juvenile behavior. The horses aren't paying her any attention now, they're just out grazing, but Bandit is still out walking the fenceline, stuffing her face with grass, and hollering at her cow neighbors across the road. I think she's having a good time, actually.

I'm going to try and get her back in her corral this evening (a flake of alfalfa hay and the can of pellets ought to do it), so she gets in the habit of spending her nights in her secure little space. It will also give her time to have some hay, in case the grass in the pasture is insufficient, but I think there's plenty for her. She seems able to crop it quite close, and maybe that's because she's still young enough that her bottom teeth are still sharp, I don't know. I heard that the grass had to be 4" long before they could wrap their tongue around it and pull it up, but she's eating stuff shorter than that.

Anyway, it was a wild morning at Love Acres today, but now the excitement has subsided. It's nice to see the horses, the cow, the guineas and the chickens all meandering across the pasture. I feel like I have a real farm now!

~Lannie

[Kathy]

Oh Lannie, that sounds so idyllic; just like those old time farm pics with all the critters grazing peaceful.

Bandit sounds like she's going to be a great cow when that day for milking finally arrives; from what you've described she's a quick learner.


I hope you get the pics downloaded before tomorrow night-my DSL goes bye bye Monday and Wild Blue won't be up till sometime Tue(fingers crossed).

How does Bandit like the poultry; is she curious about the chickens & guineas or does she just ignore them?

Thanks for the update, will check back for pics later.

[Deleted]

OK, Kathy, you axed for it!

Sorry, lots of pics here!

These are all in order. Immediately when I let her out of her corral, she went straight into the barn at a full run, spun around and ran right back out. She kind of surprised me, so this ones a bit blurry (speeding cow, you know!)



When I called her, she trotted right over to me. I think she's wondering if I have any treats on me!



NO TREATS? Fine, then, I'm leaving!



Heading out to the main pasture...



She spent a few minutes yelling across the road at her neighbors, but they didn't come to visit her, so she gave up and decided to do some more exploring.



What's over HERE?



I went out in the pasture and called her, and here she comes!



And there she goes!



Not tired yet...



Oh, LOOK! GRASS!



Several hours later, after she'd stuffed her belly full of grass, she finally decided to take a rest and chew her cud.



Later, when we fed the horses their lunch, Rich tempted Bandit back into her corral with the can of pellets, and she had some hay, then I let her back out. Unfortunately, Wind was still in the barn when Bandit decided to go in there to explore some more, so Wind unceremoniously escorted Bandit OUT of the barn and over to the pasture! LOL! She wasn't mean about it, but definitely forceful. I guess the horses think that cows don't belong in THEIR barn. I suppose they'll get used to each other eventually. After all, this is only the first day.

We'll put her back in her corral tonight, so she gets used to sleeping in a specific place, and then later on, we'll try her stall in the barn. I'm hesitant to put her in there yet because it's all still so new, I'm afraid she'll disassemble her stall or something. So that will have to wait. She's comfy in her little corral for the time being.

~Lannie

[bergere]

Looks like she is really enjoying herself!!!

[Deleted]

She had a ball....
Love the pics that you share....

Kaza

[Deleted]

Last night we put her back in her corral with some fresh hay and she settled right down. No problem, and she went in with no argument. This morning when I opened her gate and called her, she came up for scritches, then followed me out to the pasture. I didn't even have THE CAN with me!

She spent the morning grazing, then about an hour ago, I went out the back door to head for the coop to check for eggs, and I saw Aiesha lying down in the corral, sunning herself, Wind was standing next to the barn, and inside the barn, back in Aiesha's stall, a little white face was looking out at me! Bandit had gone inside the barn, had some of Aiesha's hay out of her feeder, then laid down in the stall to cud! And here I was worried about putting her in a building when she hadn't ever been in a barn. I'm just glad one of the horses didn't take exception and forcefully eject her. About the time I got to the main corral gate, the two mares were going over to the trough for a drink, so I went in the barn, got Bandit up and led her (with voice only) from the barn back out to her corral. I left her in there with some hay so she could get a chance to eat without possibility of being chased. I'll go let her back out in a few minutes, I guess.

So in a little while, Rich and I are going to go fill Bandit's stall feeder with hay, then next time she's hanging around the barn, I'll see if she'll go in HER stall. That one she can stay in and not have to worry about a horse running her off.

This is so fun! I love having a cow!

~Lannie

[Deleted]

It sure sounds like you are having fun with her!!

Kaza

[bergere]

That is so neat Lannie!! Sounds like you have the perfect cow!!! Also sounds like they are being little kids..checking out everyone elses food and housing!

[Deleted]

Well, she got to try out her stall today, but it was an accident.

We had put a bale of grass hay in her feeder for whenever I could get her to go in there, maybe in the next couple of days. But as I was on my way from the house to the garden, I saw all three of them (horses and cow) standing around in front of the barn. Aiesha nasty-faced Bandit and chased her INTO the barn. I hollered at Aiesha to quit (she did, but probably not because of my hollering), and went to retrieve Bandit before someone had an accident in there. I could just see those two mares ganging up on her or something.

The two you-know-whos sauntered off when I got inside the corral, so I went on into the barn and shut the doors so they couldn't cause any more trouble, and opened Bandit's stall. She was trying to get into the other stall, but it was also shut. Finally, I tempted her in with a handful of pellets (when all else fails...). She acted scared, and rightfully so, since this was a "new place." So I fluffed her hay and she sniffed it, but wasn't hungry. By this time, Snot-face and Wind were back, banging on the barn door with their noses. "HEY! What's goin' ON in there?? Is that cow EATING SOMETHING?" I went to the door and yelled out the crack for Rich, who was only around the corner of the barn at the woodpile, but he's deaf and he of course didn't hear me. (LOL! Later I asked him why he didn't come when I called, and he said, "Well, I heard something, but then I thought it must be the guineas." Oh, yeah, RIGHT! )

So lacking help, I opened the door slightly, stuck my arm out, waved it around and said, "SSSHHHHH TAKE OFF!" and they did. Go figure. Then I could get the door open to let Bandit out, and she was glad to BE out!

What a day!

~Lannie

[Deleted]

OK, this was WAY too funny! Last night at sundown, Rich and I went out to put Bandit in her corral for the night. Last time we had to go out there with THE CAN (pellets) and tempt her in with those. But this time, it was different.

Earlier, when I gave the horses their lunch, I dished some up for Bandit, too, but she was meditating out in the pasture and didn't come in, so I just left her dish there for when she came in later. So, OK, there's a dish with a half a can of alfalfa pellets in it sitting by her hay in her corral.

So at sundown, I took a flake of alfalfa hay (that's her bedtime snack) and Rich and I walked out to her corral. Bandit was over on the far side of the pasture, grazing. We decided to see if she'd come when we called, before resorting to getting the can and walking out there to lead her back (we were tired). So Rich yelled, "BANDIIIIIIT!" and up popped her head. He called her a couple more times and she took a couple of steps in our direction, then I held up that flake of alfalfa so she could see it! LOL! She broke into a fast gallop, busted past the horses and straight at me! I had to run into her corral and throw that alfalfa down before she steamrolled me!

Once she was in there, however, she spotted the dish of pellets still sitting there, and her head went back and forth between the dish and the alfalfa hay several times (Oh, decisions, DECISIONS!). She finally decided on the pellets, but she HOOVERED them! I don't think she chewed a one of them! LOL! She wanted to hurry up and finish before that alfalfa hay disappeared, I guess.

Rich and I were laughing so hard we could hardly stand up. We decided that getting her to come in for the night will NOT be a problem in the future. The only problem might be running out of alfalfa!

~Lannie

[bbird]

That is so funny, Lannie! You do know when you get more cows you better build a little shelter out in the pasture so you can just sit out there and be entertained, lol. Better then satellite tv!!

[Deleted]

I like how she says "WHEN I get more cows." Did anybody notice that??

Well, Deb, if this first calf is a heifer, she's a keeper, so yes, there will be two at least. And even if it's a bull, we'll raise it for meat, so he'll be around for a while, too, so I guess you're right. It's WHEN!

I've had to remove Bandit TWICE now from the chicken run. I guess she figures it's safe in there because she thinks the horses can't get in there. (She's wrong, though.) I'm thinking maybe putting a people-sized door on the chicken run was a mistake. I should install a doggy - er, I mean a chicken - door in the people door and keep the people door closed unless I'm going in or out. This morning I found Bandit standing inside the run staring raptly through the window into the coop. I'm not sure if she was looking at the few chickens that were in there or if she was marveling at her own reflection. She turned around when I called her, but I had to go in and tap her on the behind to get her out. I think she likes it in there. She left a nice present for the chickens.

I've put her in her pen twice today for short periods, then let her out and she just follows me wherever I go. I call her, walk in her pen, and there she is. I open the gate, walk out toward the pasture and she follows right behind. It's getting hard to get rid of her now when I have to go do something else! LOL! I think she likes me!

~Lannie