moving on

Thursday was another day for a marital bonding exercise, when we had to muster and move away our cows that we had on agistment.  We're sad to have to move them as they are doing so well, being first calf heifers and on good feed. But with the season - or lack thereof - shaping up the way it is, the owner of the property is taking steps to protect himself for the year to come.

It wasn't an early start, having to get kids to school and husband other jobs to do, but we finally got to the paddock after morning smoko.

Those black calves, by old Rainbow or some young senagus bulls, are very healthy, and very quiet natured. Nothing was in a rush to go anywhere. Unfortunately, a little faster walking would have been appreciated.

We had a spare critter in the mob too, which at least proved to be distraction on the long walk back to the yards.

Obviously separated from her own herd by dingoes, this little goat was sticking with the cows right or wrong. Mostly the cows weren't bothered by her presence, especially if she were in amongst the calves. Occasionally they would notice her and push her away.

It was a long walk back to the yards, and it was HOT. Not 46 degrees hot, but more of hot and humid-er sort of day. Fun for all parties. Especially riding a bike that even in the husbands words, was "a bit stiff" in the steering. Oh my aching shoulders.

Goat and cow babies (on the wrong side of the fence at this point) alike were feeling it, but with only one short spell on the way, they all made it. Hot and bothered for sure, but without too much stress.

I was feeling a bit hot and bothered myself, possibly not having enough water during the day so was quite happy to have a spell as we had a late lunch in the yards. A very thoughtful and mindful person had planted a raintree in the drafting yard many years ago and it was just beautiful and cool underneath.

And it made the process of drafting SO much more pleasant.

It was late in the afternoon/evening before we got to the calves, which had to be tagged with a NLIS ear tag from their property of birth, to comply with the National Livestock Identification Scheme (which quite frankly, is a pain in the butt). After a couple of trials it was identified that the easiest and fastest was to undertake this was to squeeze a heap of calves into the crush and The Husband would one by one, working from the back and pushing the tagged calves out behind him, tag the calves in the crush with them. One thing we've noticed about these cross bred calves, different to more Brahman or Droughtmaster types, is they are SO placid, and rarely kick! So they job of tagging was fairly event free, although I wouldn't have wanted to be the one wrestling with the sappy little suckers.

It was about 730 pm before we let the calves back with their mothers and chained the gate shut. I attempted to round up the little goat, thinking I'd bring her home, but she wasn't that silly. She was quite happy to be left with the cows! (cows were trucked away the next day and the little goat went off with a mob of the property owners cattle that we let out of the yards). We got to see the moon rising as we drove home, and by the time we collected the kids from granny and grandad's and got home, it was 10pm.

I would call that a long day.