When "That'll Do" Doesn't Do

In THIS POST from July, I put forward a tactic we many times employ of not necessarily going to all the expense, time, and trouble of doing things perfectly on our little farm.  Sometimes, a quick and dirty fix works just fine... and sometimes it doesn't.

In that previous post we showed how a Chinaberry tree fell across a fence that separate the bulls from our cows.  When it is not breeding time, we like to keep the bulls in the 'bull pen.'  There are just too much hormones and rough-housing going on to have the bulls together with the cows.  When the tree fell across the fence, it was hot, humid, wet, muddy, and I didn't feel like fixing the fence properly.  Instead, I got some tie wire (there is nothing that can't be fixed with tie wire, duct tape, a cheater pipe and a big hammer!) and simply tied the fencing to the fence post with the wire.  There.  Done.

Except it wasn't.  We arrived home from vacation and the first thing we noticed was one of the goats (Matilda) had wire wrapped around both back legs (she's fine now) and the second thing was that the bulls were with the cows.  They broke down the fence in its weakest point - where I patched it with tie wire.

This weekend I had to fix it right.  I did have a problem.  I got my come-along and tried to pull the hog-wire fencing to the post.  No matter how tight I pulled it, I couldn't get it to a point where I could staple the fencing to the existing post.  I thought of several options.  Should I put a gate there?  No, I don't need another gate.  Should I splice in some fence?  No, it would be weak, and I wouldn't be able to pull it tight.

I decided on putting another post in the ground, pull the fence tight to the new post and staple it.  Then I made a ladder.  It fixes my problem.  It is cheaper/easier than erecting a gate.  It provides a tight, strong fence, with quick access to the bull pen. 

I kind of like the gate fix/ladder.  Clarabull isn't enamored by it.  You can see him looking at it with disdain in the photo above after I moved him back into the bull pen.

Aussie will join Clarabull in the bull pen shortly as soon as we can either determine that the cows are bred by seeing them NOT come into heat during their cycle, or if we decide on having them palpated to confirm pregnancy.  Aussie is staring at the new ladder, too, possibly scheming the next jail break.  I don't think they'll be able to break out again.

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.