Back in July, I was really stressed about how I would feed the cattle.  We had been experiencing extreme drought conditions for a few months by then, and grass was running out.  To make matters worse, there was very little hay available, and what I did find was extremely expensive.  Many farmers and ranchers responded to this crisis by liquidating their herds and as a result the market prices at the auction were very low. I really didn’t want to let go of the cattle I had invested time and energy into, especially at a loss.  As luck would have it, my father-in-law had some pasture with some grass he was willing to let me use, and a friend allowed me use of their previously row cropped land as temporary refuge.  This was just enough forage to keep the cattle alive while I awaited the rains. 

We have seen our home pastures flourish since the drought ended a few weeks ago. I was amazed to witness the grass recover so quickly - it only took a few days for it to green up and begin growing vigorously. After giving the grass a few weeks to recover, we started preparing to bring the herd home.

This weekend, we finally completed the task.  As simple as this sounds, this process is not easy to accomplish.  Previously, the property was used for growing corn, not cattle, so there was no infrastructure available to load the cows onto trailers to return home. We had to disassemble all the cattle panels from my father-in-law's place, load the equipment onto a trailer, transfer it from his place to my friend's property, and reassemble the enclosures. We incorporated a long section of pre-existing fencing to create a temporary working corral and loading chute that would enable us to round up and load the herd.

The next step was to entice the cattle into the working corral.  In general, the cows were cooperative since there was fresh grass to be had, but a few were especially cautious - especially one with a newborn calf.  This momma cow has always been a bit wary, but with a newborn calf at her side she was hypersensitive to danger. 

Once we began putting pressure on the cattle, moving them closer to the loading chute, even the most docile of them began panicking.  Loading the first half of the cattle into the trailer went pretty much as planned (as if one could have a plan to cram 12 thousand pounds of cattle onto a trailer).  We returned after dropping off the first load to find that the remaining cattle had pushed down our temporary corral and made their way back to the larger working area.

The cattle were well and truly spooked by this time, so any attempts to lure or cajole them into the pens seemed impossible. Fortunately, the property owners stopped by to see how we were doing and offered to help us gather them back up. With a bit of Aggie engineering and a reel of poly wire (temporary electric fencing), we made an ever tighter area, and began working them slowly toward the corral.  A few of the more panicked cattle braved the shock and went under and over the poly wire, but we were able to get about 10 more onto the trailer. The remaining 12 had bolted into the open field and were clearly tired of our shenanigans. In the end, we decided to let them calm down and try again another day.

The following day I was out there fixing some of the fencing destroyed in the great escape when the cows came back up.  I was able to coax all but the momma and newborn into the holding area.  Once they were secured, I called my father-in-law and had him bring the trailer back out to try loading up the last group. Again using the same tactic of compressing their space with the poly wire, we were able to load all but 2 (plus the momma and newborn) into the trailer. It's unlikely I'll be able to get the remaining 4 back home anytime soon, considering how much stress I put them through during three different loading attempts.  Our next attempt may be a long way off since we will need the loading chute and temporary corral elsewhere.  At this point, I'm considering leaving them there until spring, when the calf will be easier to handle and the momma will be less protective (I hope).  If anybody is interested in purchasing a small starter herd, I know they are willing to sell them cheap - some assembly required!