A cool day greeted us this morning, yet the sky was a deep, deep blue, with not a cloud in sight. Whilst the air was nippy, the sun certainly warmed our backs. Rugged up against the low temperature (around 5°C) Dad and I headed out to collect a mob of cows and calves. We had to move them a couple of kilometers to the yards. Anyone who has ever moved cows and calves will know that you really need to keep your wits about you as cows do not like to be separated from their calves. This I found out the hard way when I was but a young child and I was accidentally caught between a cow and calf who had been separated and she was not the most even tempered cow in the history of mad cows. I had my younger sister with me who was no more than a couple of years old and ended up having to pick her up and run for our lives, narrowly evading a good stomping by an irate mother. So with this in mind I was very wary of our progress. We set of on a quad bike (four wheeled motorbike) and on foot to begin the muster. Not a sound could be heard except the odd mooing of a cow, or the call of a bird. Gone are the sounds of cars, horns blaring, engines roaring. As spring is approaching, many trees including the Australian wattle, are in full bloom. The smell of fresh grass, tree blossoms and of course fresh manure curled around my nostrils distracting me from the task at hand. There was only one moment of concern when a very young calf decided that I looked like her mother and she wanted to come to me. This set my pulse pounding, not from the fear of the calf but of what the mother was going to do to me if the calf got too close. A big stick soon warded off the curious calf and we were on our way again. There were 2 very small calves in the mob, so we separated both with their mothers early from the rest so as to not distress them. They were left in a lovely green paddock to frolic and graze. The rest of the mob – 47 cows and 43 big calves were herded to the cattle yards where the fun was to really begin.
First most important job, find a good weapon to protect yourself in the yards. You have to remember that these are no small animals. The smallest calf weighed about 300kg. The largest cow around 900kg. Not something that you want to be kicked or trampled by. And they do not really like being confined in yards. Dad chose a handsomely handcrafted carriage whip, much finer than a stock whip and easier to use in the yards. I chose a long piece of bright orange poly pipe, I wanted the cows to really be able to see me as I ran at them screaming like a banshee and waving a bright orange object!!
With our weapons of choice firmly gripped, we headed into the yards. 90 extremely large animals in small cattle yards can be a little daunting and our first job was to separate the cows from their calves. Remember I have already warned you that this is not something you want to do, so with eyes checking in all directions I headed in waving my piece of orange pipe around and trying to show them who was really the boss. Actually it was not as hard as I though it was going to be and within 30 minutes we had separated them without an injury to either Dad or I. Now came the task of convincing silly calves to move into confined spaces so they could be drenched with chemicals to protect them from intestinal worms and parasites. More yelling and wildly swinging orange pipe with lots of running around and the calves were done. Nearly lost fingers once on the gate chain when trying to open the pen, obviously I did not do it fast enough for the likes of the calf I was releasing who decided to barge out almost trapping my hand in the chain.
The calves then had to be returned to their paddock. They were to begin their new life without their mothers from today. After the experience in the yard they were happy enough to trot off down the lane with the smell of fresh grass beckoning them and they did not realise they had left their mothers mooing for them to return. After pushing them over a small creek (stream) crossing and having to follow on foot, they were eventually in their new home. On the way to this paddock we passed another mob of cattle and noticed that one of the cows was currently in the middle of having a calf and not having an easy time of it. It looked like once these calves were home we were going to have to return and push the poor unfortunate mother back to the yards where we would have to help her have her calf. But when we returned to get her we were greeted with the sight of the calf coming out, our assistance was not needed. The calf lay in the sun as it's mother gently cleaned it with her tongue having to fight off the other cows who also wanted to be part of this cleaning ritual. We left mother and baby in peace to bond and begin a new chapter and headed back to the yards to deal with the remaining cows. Now was the time to be really scared.
Remember I pointed out earlier that these mighty beasts weighed as much as 900 kilograms. Now that is a lot of meat, and a lot of weight to put behind a swift kick if you were annoying them. So with even more trepidation I headed back into the confines of the yard. There were times when I seemed to be getting nowhere fast as 1 or 2 cows would go into the correct pen and by the time I got the others looking like they might like to join them, the original ones had decided to leave. And you do not mess with these mighty beasts our you may end up with a swift kick or a head butted into your belly. A lot of screaming and waving of the orange pipe eventually showed them just who was boss of this mob and I only almost got barged over twice and had a couple of attempted kicks but fear kept me one step ahead of them.
Now I sit in front of the computer, my face all ruddy from the excesses of sun and wind, missing the fresh air, and the sounds and smells of the country as the day draws to a close. A gentle breeze ruffles the gum trees surrounding the house as the sun contemplates retiring for the day.
