Cows in the Corral

I hope everyone has been staying cool with these warm temperatures. The animals don't love the hot weather but we make sure they have plenty of fresh water and some shady places to rest during the hottest part of the day.

Handling livestock safely and efficiently is an important job on the farm. It helps that our cows are calm and even tempered, and they are used to seeing Leith every day. It also helps that we have a well-designed corral. This picture shows the Bud Box, a simple rectangular pen that takes advantage of the cows' natural behavior to guide them into the chute.

The chute is a narrow alley just wide enough for a cow to move forward, so once she is in the chute she can't turn around. This cow is waiting her turn to enter the blue squeeze chute, where we can safely replace a lost ear tag or provide any needed veterinary care.

After passing through the chute, cows meet up with their friends and enjoy fresh water and hay while they wait for the rest of the herd to move through the handling system. When all the cows are done, the whole herd moves back out to pasture together.

Handling cows in the corral usually takes two or three people, so it is one of the few jobs on our small farm that is truly a team effort.

Thanks for reading,

Leith, Mary Kate, Norah & Edith MacKenzie