This post could have several titles:
OOPS!!!!
OH BULL!!!!!
PRINCESS IS A SKANK!!!!
I had to leave the house for a while yesterday, but not before I mentally took note of the fact that Princess was in heat. I did manage to write it down on the calender before I left. I also mentally reviewed the fact that the gate was properly latched between the field where Princess was and the field where I keep Little Davie, the yearling bull, knowing they would both be hanging out by that gate while she was in heat.
Then, I went to run my errands, spent some time at the other farm, got home and started hanging clothes on the line. While hanging clothes, I looked up to see Promise in the back pasture where the bull and Zeke (who is being weaned) are kept.
It took a minute for my brain to register as I went through the process of telling myself, "That's not Promise it's Zeke. No, that's Promise. No that's Zeke. That IS Promise and she is in the wrong field!"
The light bulb went off in my head finally that something was amiss.
I took off down to the barnyard to check it out and realized that Zeke was running around like a child turned loose at an amusement park, kicking up his heels and running like crazy in the heifer's field. At the same time, poor Promise was in the back field and couldn't quite figure out how she had found herself there and was bawling her head off.
I also realized there was an audience of all the mature cows on my side of the fence standing and watching the show.
As I begin to witness the true show,the phone rang and it was my husband calling me from the hay field. He tells me that Princess is standing for Davie.
"No joke, I say as I witness the breeding from just a few yards away.
I started into a verbal tirade about how I wanted to wait so that Princess would have a baby in April and how I didn't want a February calf.
Mike said, "Well maybe he didn't hit the mark. Separate them."
"Sure. No problem" I'm thinking as I observe the little 34 inch yearling bull and 38 inch 19 month old heifer.
I was careful but still pretty brave due to my anger at the unruly teenagers free love fest going on before my very eyes! I tried to move the gate but soon realize it's not unlatched but it's busted! Well, the gate was not busted. But the gate was off the hinges on one side and the latch busted on the other side. (This is not a small gate, mind you. It's a big, red bull gate. These "teenagers" were determined.)
I must say that Davie was never aggressive towards me even in the heat of the moment. (Good bull, Davie!) When I got behind him and kicked his butt, he moved and I managed to get him in the stable. Once inside the stable he threw a royal fit as any good bull would do! (Pawing, prancing, snorting, and banging his head against the walls.)
While Davie had his fit, I had to repair the gate, get it back on the hinges (think heavy gate and wimpy woman here) and then get Promise back in her field and Zeke back in his field.
After all that when the adrenaline rush had subsided, I realized that there was no way the compromised gate was going to keep the two lovers apart. As the thought sunk into my thick head that the Princess was more than likely bred anyway, I figured I might as well put them together and save myself more headache.
So, I did.
I am like the mother who plans an elaborate wedding for her daughter and her daughter runs off and elopes! My little Princess is such a skank!
Of course, as any good grandmother would do, I had to check to bovine gestation calender to see when the baby would be due if Princess actually did conceive. Would you believe, right around Valentine's Day?
Now isn't that appropriate!?!