Barns & Bulls

This barn is on a nice hill, but its land is down by the river.

I took this photo 4 day ago and today all that land is flooded. The road is blocked off and detours are everywhere in this valley.   I feel like I am on an island.

Very nice barn.

Here is another one with my preferred "drive up" so you can back the hay wagon inside to unload it incase of rain.

Here is Google and her July 2010 calf, Gizmo.

Gizmo was reserved by a women who has a small herd of Simmentals on the other side of the state and wants a good herd bull next year.  Our plan last November was for Gizmo to leave here in February, but with the barn fire, no tractor to move snow and then the barn collapse and 3 blizzards, it never happened.       This week we made plans to try to move him West before the rain and mud made it impossible for the trailer to get down the road.

Last Monday I set up the very burned portable fencing that was salvaged from the December barn fire.  All parts seemed to work just fine.

Then every day I enticed Gizmo to walk over to the corral by using his favorite snack.   For 4 days he was perfect.   Every day I would shake the cracker box and he would walk on over to be fed his treats.

Then yesterday the mud was so deep he would not come all the way over to the corral.
I had to up the ante and use some grain and get his mom involved.

In 15 minutes I corralled them both.

But his mom had other ideas and tried to jump the fencing, so I quickly let her out before someone got hurt.   She went over to her favored place and laid down to chew her cud and never returned to the pen.
That left Gizmo alone and lonely so then I had to lure the rest of the herd over to him to keep him content.

Gizmo is a Vermont bred, born, raised and grazed bull.

My first.

When the trailer arrived he jumped right on.  I guess that was the advantage to his 2 previous trailer rides to get here last September.

As the trailer left I thought, Go West young man and make us proud.

The herd chased the trailer as Gizmo mooed.

This morning his mother was not bagged up and was not missing him at all.
Not a peep out of her.
She must of weaned him last month.
Gizmo went to his new "job" with his paperwork, photos, parents registration info, a fresh box of Nabisco Graham Crackers and his Animal Welfare Approved certification.
I plan on visiting him and his new herd mates on my way to also visit Shelburne Farms this summer. Until then I hope he blends in with his herd and learns all the important things in a growing bulls life.