Holey Cow!

Today was not a good way to wake up! My eyes cracked open this morning around 7:30am. As usual, I looked out the bedroom window to see if any of the alpacas were mingling around near the barn as I like to watch them for a few minutes as I wake up. This morning though, I look out and what do I see? Riona, one of our cows, standing in the turn out area of the alpacas! This was not good! If the cows had broken one of the fences to get in with the girl alpacas then our male alpacas could easily follow them through as well.

As I jumped out of bed to throw some clothes on I had visions of our young madian alpacas having been bred by one of our boys (they are old enough now but it is the wrong time of year and they have dates with some top quaility studs in November). I ran out to the pasture to access the damage. The first thing I noticed was that our two LGD where way up in the corner of the pasture away from all the animals. Odd. I sighed relief when all I could see was the three cows in the alpaca pasture. Both male alpacas and the donkeys were still in the other pasture where they belonged. The cows, upon seeing me came walking up to the barn to get their morning grain. So, it was pretty easy to lure them back into their pasture. The dogs on the other hand, happy to see me and get the cows out of their pasture, snuck out of the pasture over to the fence near chicken coop to chase the birds. Thank goodness they are food motivated as just a sound of food in their bowls will bring them running. Once everyone was were they belonged, and not seeing any obvious holes in the fences up near the barn, I started to walk the perimeter of the alpaca pasture. There is where I found the section of fence the cows had crushed down to get into the pasture. It was some of the temporary woven wire fencing we had put up in an area that we intend to put a gate in the future. Back up at the barn I gathered some wire, the fencing tool and a bit of left over woven wire fence to make the patch. It took about 10 minutes to secure the fence. I had to work fast as the cows had already come down to see what I was doing and once cows know of a weak spot they will continue to test it. Crazy cows!

I am back in the house eating breakfast now and will be headed out in a minute to finish the rest of my morning chores.