Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

She was very obviously unhappy about the situation - she was halter trained but she'd just calved hours ago and then had a "pecking order" fight with the other cow she lived with - and I was walking her along with a very no-nonsense farmer shouting "Stand back! SIT. DOON." at everyone.

Folk wanting to bring their kids to pet them over the fence, or even ignoring the signs and going into the field with them, was a problem in general though. They came from a breeder who used to do an air bnb "hairy coo experience" thing where guests could help feed and groom them, so they were well used to people. The bigger danger was that one of them would toss her head if you weren't combing or scratching hard enough or in the right place - that could be lethal if you weren't expecting it!

The shows are a big thing here though, so I think a lot of folk probably have a few of their animals halter trained.

(I can't think of the words I mean for "pecking order" for cows)

Cow tax:
View attachment 4304815

Herd rank. Used to be that the boss cow led the whole herd on the cattle drive from Texas to the railroad head in Kansas. The cowboys rode the sides/back of the herd. The boss cow had made the trek before and knew the route, the water holes, the terrain, the night stops. The rest of the cows were sold. She headed back down the trail with the cowboys to boss the next herd.

 

[kattabelly]

Herd rank. Used to be that the boss cow led the whole herd on the cattle drive from Texas to the railroad head in Kansas. The cowboys rode the sides/back of the herd. The boss cow had made the trek before and knew the route, the water holes, the terrain, the night stops. The rest of the cows were sold. She headed back down the trail with the cowboys to boss the next herd.

Thanks, I was having a brainwordfail moment

 

[rural mouse]

They are cute gentles but those horns look like impaling weapons even if the head is casually tossed!

I think the gentle water buffalo horns look slightly safer growing backwards?

Look a lot like these...

...which have been known to stalk the hunter who is hunting them. Pound for pound mean, and NOT the same species, just closely related.

 

[featherhead007]

They are cute gentles but those horns look like impaling weapons even if the head is casually tossed!

I think the gentle water buffalo horns look slightly safer growing backwards?

That’s no bull!

 

[Labsandchickens8]

I don't have a cat, so I present pictures of my weird chicken who has made a nest in the middle of her run. I moved the fake egg in the nest box of the Polish and now they cannot use that nest box. It's just ruined for them.
I needed it in the big girls' run because the 8 of them, with 7 nest boxes - yes 7 - were all laying in one box. Major drama. They have now decided 3 boxes are acceptable.
Here's multiple big girls sharing nest boxes.

 

[featherhead007]

They are cute gentles but those horns look like impaling weapons even if the head is casually tossed!

I think the gentle water buffalo horns look slightly safer growing backwards?

Look at the hairy coo again. See the tongue? She just wants to give you a big sloppy kiss!

 

[Sylvester017]

@Ponypoor ~ TY 4 synops Another word for Brit slang I didn't see was "Mum" for mother when USA uses "Mom". Here "mum's the word" means keep a secret. Also, a Brit "boot" is a slang for a car trunk but here in the USA it is a heavy shoe or cowboy shoe!

 

[kattabelly]

@Ponypoor ~ TY 4 synops Another word for Brit slang I didn't see was "Mum" for mother when USA uses "Mom". Here "mum's the word" means keep a secret. Also, a Brit "boot" is a slang for a car trunk but here in the USA it is a heavy shoe or cowboy shoe!

Boots are footwear here too. And kicking something could be described as booting it, or giving it a boot.

"Mum" and (car or footwear) "boot" aren't really slang though, they're just what those things are called here.

 

[Sylvester017]

Look at the hairy coo again. See the tongue? She just wants to give you a big sloppy kiss!

Still... the sloppy tongue kiss looks safer on the water buffalo:

 

[Sylvester017]

Boots are footwear here too. And kicking something could be described as booting it, or giving it a boot.

"Mum" and (car or footwear) "boot" aren't really slang though, they're just what those things are called here.

Still slang to me when we're not used to it