Cow Musings...

The cows on our land are not ours.  They belong to the guy who is renting our farm.  From various spots and at various times we have observed this group.  When we sit and eat our lunch, all the babies slowly move en mass closer to watch us.  They often will get within 10-15 feet.  I will stand up at this point and they will move away, only to slowly approach once more.  A year ago, we were eating and watching as a lone cow came out of the trees by the culvert.  She walked all the way over to the other side of the pasture where the other cows were and mooed several times.  All the cows stopped grazing and followed her back across the pasture to the protective area of the culvert.  They all disappeared into the brush and trees.  We didn't see what all the fuss was about, but have assumed she was showing her new calf to the herd as there were several fairly new babies among the group.

 

The picture quality is not great, but above is where the proposed site of the house has been staked.  By the way, this will be the view from the back porches.  Anyway, we have staked and re-staked and re-staked at least four times.  Each time, the cows knock down the stakes and stomp on the flags and wooden stakes.  Last week we decided to use rebar with the flags.  Saturday we checked and the rebar was still in the ground, but the flags were torn off.  We reflagged the rebar.

 

Each birdfeeder is low enough so we can easily fill it without a ladder.  The cows reach up and knock the feeders and spill the contents.  Often doing it while we are still in sight.

I am an avid carnivore and love beef.  What I have discovered is cows are a very social and curious group.  I am trying not to think too deeply about these creatures and the fate that awaits them.  Peg is determined that we will raise our own cows in the future.  I don't know if I'll be able to send our "charges" to market... And eating them, well, I just couldn't do it............ (Per Peg: "the current "rage" is grass fed beef...any takers?")