Buddies

Making the trek back home.

On the Mountaintop

Here on the edge of the Red River Valley the land lays pretty flat. Our "mountain" is a large pile of gravel at the county gravel pit. The eroded sides are very steep but Scout was game to climb right up to the top. From there we could see the mosaic of the countryside around us. Immediately below us is the "lake" the gravel was dug from. That's a lone ice fishing house on the lake. The dark spots near the horizon are the pine trees at the place we call home. 

Scout's clearly taking in the view.  (2/6/10)

Weather Alert!

When Oxen lick themselves against the Hair
Look for Rain soon after.

Porcupine!

Harry does battle with plastic chimney sweep.

They fight like cats and dogs!

The dog hassles the cat. . . .

and the cat hassles the dog!

Cool Clear Water

Cattle need plenty of fresh water, year round.

Rosa Bonheur

The artist Rosa Bonheur was a friend of Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (see below), and his father Etienne. Her father was employed by them to do natural history illustrations. The bull looks like Scout. . . .not?

(ee-THOL-uh-jee)

ethology (ee-THOL-uh-jee) The study of the natural behavior of animals. The word was coined by French zoologist Isidore Geoffroy Saint Hilaire (1805-1861). He was known for his studies of anatomical abnormalities in humans and animals.

A Long Walk on a Frigid Night

Scout contemplates his mortality. 

Play Time

Harry's Bunny.

Hoof Trimming

Early Hoof Trimming

Scout, was on milk replacer twice a day, had free choice hay, and was offered fresh commercial calf-starter mix from the day he first came to Storybrooke Farm (at ten days of age), til our first real cold snap in early December. During this period of time he was not confined to his stall and spent most of his time out grazing with his stable-mate Peaches (the pony).

The pasture was hard-frozen winter pasture, mostly brown duff, but he preferred it to calf starter. He was only consuming a modest amount of starter mix daily. When it finally snowed sufficient to cover the frozen pasture, the temperature also dipped to -15 F below zero(-26 C).

As I noted in an earlier blog entry, I found Scout in the morning hypothermic with partially frozen ears, even though he had spent the night in the barn with ample dry bedding.

Soon after this event (I’m calling it a metabolic energy crisis) I began to observe abnormal softness and growth around the coronary band (top of hoof) on his front feet. In a few weeks a thin layer of the soles of his hooves began to separate and come off. By mid-January his front hooves were abnormally long.

Wanting to prevent his fetlocks and pasterns from getting stretched out and weak I decided to trim his feet. I trimmed a modest amount of toe because he is so young. He has presented no signs of lameness before or after trimming.

I purchased Scout from my favorite dairy (from my hoof trimming days) largely because the cattle at that dairy never had serious hoof problems. So it is a bit of an irony to me that I am having these hoof problems with Scout.

Before and After

History Repeats Itself

The Dog in the Manger


by Aesop

A dog lay in a manger, and by his growling and snapping prevented the ox from hay which had been placed for him. “What a selfish Dog!” said the ox, “He cannot eat the hay himself, and yet refuses to allow those to eat who can.”

Happy Harry!

Harry has two homes. One in the barn with the calf and the pony, and one in the house with us.

Job Description: Oxherd

He feedeth and nourisheth oxen, and bringeth them to leas and home again: and bindeth their feet with a langhaldes and spanells and nigheth and cloggeth them while they be in pasture and leas, and yoketh and maketh them draw at the plough: and pricketh the slow with a goad, and maketh them draw even. And pleaseth them with whistling and with song, to make them bear the yoke with the better will for liking of melody of the voice. And this herd driveth and ruleth them to draw even, and teacheth them to make even furrows: and compelleth them not only to ear, but also to tread and to thresh. And they lead them about upon corn to break the straw in threshing and treading the flour. And when the travail is done, then they unyoke them and bring them to the stall: and tie them to the stall, and feed them thereat.

from Mediaeval Lore from Bartholomew Anglicus by Robert Steele, 1860-1944 courtesy of http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/6493

Riding Lessons

Kira became a bull rider at age two. She’s the perfect size to give Scout some early riding experience. (Relax. Grandpa was holding on tight.)

Kid Time

Puppy “play” and more specifically “play biting” are healthy for a dog's social development; it helps to shape the puppy into an adult dog that can safely participate in give and take activities. Specifically, it helps the dog to learn to regulate his bite pressure. A dog who has not had this “play time” as a puppy could become a menace as an adult.

The grand-kids came to stay overnight the second week in January, and Levi obliged in providing some good, quality "playtime."

Weather Alert!

Oxen  refuse to leave their stalls when it is about to rain.

Puppy Leads Calf - Steer - Ox in Training: Serendipitous!

One night, Harry the Puppy, who loves ropes (It is said Newfoundland dogs once helped fishermen haul in their nets), picked up Scout the Ox's lead rope and invited a tug of war. The calf, Scout, who’s now halter trained, readily followed Harry’s tugs. With Harry leading the way they made several trips up and down the driveway, appearing to throughly enjoy this self-invented interspecies play.

"Get Up!"

Training "get up" and "whoa" using long reigns.

I’m working on teaching Scout, the bull calf, to “whoa” and “get up.” In addition to pulling a ox cart I think it would be fun if he could be ridden. I’m preparing him for that concept while he is young and manageable. Cattle have a good memory and what he learns today should stay with him into adulthood.

When he’s in his pen, or we’re taking a break while out on a walk, I’ll occasionally stand over him in the riding position, bearing my own weight, but getting him accustomed to the idea. With this same thought in mind I’ve been teaching him the “whoa” and “get up” commands using a pair of long reigns clipped one on each side of his halter. I draw these together over his back with an iron ring giving the sensation of the reigns being directed from the riders position. I’ve been surprised how well he responds to a gentle tug for “whoa” and a shaking of the reigns for “get up,” along with the verbal commands.

Calf and Puppy: Herd (and Pack) Replacement Companions

Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog snuggle in a clean pen.

Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog are forming close bonds by eating, sleeping, playing and even drinking together.