Mean Cows Become Hamburger

We had this 'dude' idea of grazing five steers this summer. Because the grass in the pasture we had them in ran out too quickly a neighbor told us we could move them to his pasture. Upon trying to load them in a trailer three broke through the fence and ran up in the mountains behind our house. We figured they were lost to us. The remaining two were moved.

Because we needed to move the two steers somewhere where we could fatten them up for slaughter we tried moving them again a couple weeks ago. Well by now these two cows were just wild and mean, mean, mean. During this moving process they charged Neil and the guy helping him and finally the above steer jumped the steel rail corral fencing and almost made it over the top but fell back and broke it's back leg. That meant the butchering process had to take place that day.

The moral of this story is: mean cows become hamburger at the Star 6 and Neil is seriously reconsidering grazing cattle next year. He said he is going to write this experience in a diary and read it next year when he thinks about doing this again. When Neil called me to see if I wanted to come and watch the process I thought it might make me turn vegetarian but it wasn't as gory or bloody as I was anticipating. In fact it was quite educational.

Oh, the other three? They showed up about ten miles away in the National Forest open range with someones herd of cattle. But we understand they are also mean, mean, mean and wild. Now there is talk of tranquilizer guns once it snows and they come down off the mountain to feed. Only time will tell if getting them to market will be as exciting!! I know this.....we have no more freezer space.