Longing.

Yesterday, I rotated the cow herd to a new pasture a half mile closer to our place then they had been. Of course, no one was more aware of this than Deuce, our older bull, who is in the pasture behind the house. He is ready to start working. Deuce is five or six years old, and probably close to a thousand pounds larger than our new bull. As you can see, he is well- muscled. Even his muscles seem to have muscles. 

In the evening, he made his way to this hill where he stood, bellowed, and looked longingly in the direction of the herd.  He is like a compass needle of longing; constantly aligning himself in the direction of the nearest cow herd, intently watching, smelling, and waiting. You can see how he has worn the grass away with his diligent wanting. When I went out in the mist and drizzle to photograph him he would turn to me, annoyed, but a distant cow would moo, and he would pivot right back, his eyes and ears intently focused on his true north.

Today Deuce got his wish. In the misty rain, Maret, Gary, and I brought the cows and their calves to his pasture. After Gary gathered up some stragglers, I watched Maret open the gate in my rearview mirror, then I led the way in my pickup, with the windows rolled down, yelling. "Come boss," while the rain came in. Maret rode with Gary following the herd. Usually there is confusion and some chasing, but today they simply trailed out in a long thin black line. 

When our noisy parade reached the top of the hill and Deuce saw what was happening, he started singing his high pitched call, and sprinted to the herd. The cows and calves, Deuce, and the steers all had to sniff each other and butt heads. Utter chaos and cacophony with the compass needle spinning. Deuce will have 45-50 days to breed the cows. Cows cycle every 21 days, so this will allow for two cycles. The heifers will be exposed to a bull for 65 days to cover three cycles. And for the next few days I'll probably sleep with ear plugs.

Comments

[Linda]

Deuce. I love Deuce. He doesn't know the air time he's received around the country.