Peter and I had a free morning so decided to wean the first bunch of crias - 11 of them altogether and split up the rest of the female herd according to their BCS and winter feed requirements. All went remarkably smoothly and we were just finishing putting the last females out when I saw young Dipper-Dapper make a bid for an escape, squeezing himself under the rails he was back with his mum two fields away in a jiffy.
Swearing slightly, well a lot actually, we decided that herding him back or carrying him across the farm was not an option, so we caught him and bundled him into the trailer and then moved them all along to the next field which is fenced with stock wire, drove him across the fields and put him back in with the others. Completely out of sight from his mum and his previous escape route, he settled down and stayed put with his buddies.
Tonight everyone seems remarkably calm, the weanlings have old Aunty Miel in with them for a bit of adult company and they all tucked into their supper. All but 2 of their mums seem oblivious to the fact that their crias are no longer with them. Moya searched me up and down looking for Monroe but as soon as I was out of the field settled down in front of the hay feeder for a munch. Calico stood and gazed into the distance but not for long.
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| Weanlings |
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| The Fatties |
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| Females & Crias |
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| Caption ideas? |
Caption: "...and this one's called, the Half-Nelson"
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