Water Everywhere!

The water trough in the bull pen has been a source of trouble for us lately.  First, the baby goats have been sticking their heads through the 4X4 hogwire to drink water and have been getting their heads stuck in the fence due to their horns.  Tricia was having to go out several times a day to rescue the goats.  They aren't very bright.  They wouldn't learn a lesson.  Using a chicken wire frame that was part of an old brooder and a rusty piece of corrugated tin, I built a temporary barrier that has kept the kids out of the bulls' water trough and thus, out of trouble.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I come home to what you see above.  Nope, it didn't rain.  The bull named Astro (because he was born on the night that the Astros won game 6 in the World Series),used his head to knock the float valve out of the trough.  The float valve is fastened to the trough with some wing-nut bolts.  After the bull drinks, the water automatically fills until the float valve closes and stops the water flow.  Bulls are notorious for rubbing their heads on everything and apparently he rubbed on the float valve until it was loosened.  Then he hit it with his head until it was laying on the ground with the water running wide open.  All day long!

We weren't home today as we were moving Benjamin into his college dormitory.  When we came home, we found this.  The water must have run all day as the pasture is flooded all the way to the fence toward the south and west.  I hate to see our water bill this month!  I quickly put the valve assembly back on the trough to stop the water.

Astro stood there in the mud seemingly proud of his handiwork.  I was not too impressed.

Bulls are just a nuisance to have on our little pasture.  When they get this age, they begin using their heads to destroy anything in the pasture.  Unfortunately, this also means us!  They will come up to us, lowering their heads and will push us or hit us.  Today while putting the float valve on the trough, Astro came up behind me and rammed me with his head.  I had to hit him in the nose to make him stop.  Then I yelled for Tricia to distract him by feeding him some sweet feed so that I could re-affix the valve to the trough.  We not only have Astro, but we have Aussie and Clarabull.  Astro's mischief today made me all the more determined to go ahead and get an appointment scheduled for him at the slaughterhouse.

We were previously waiting until the quality of the grass diminishes before sending him, but I believe we'll go ahead and take him.  He's plenty fattened up.  Then we'll move Aussie and Clarabull into the 'bull pen' and wean them both.