Hay Feeders Can Be Cow Traps

Topper's horns were wedged tight in the metal hay feeder. While reaching for a tasty bit of hay, he pushed his head into the feeder and turned his horns just so. Like a Chinese finger trap, the feeder wouldn't let him back up. But he didn't panic; he managed to keep munching the hay.

Hay feeders are metal contraptions designed to give livestock access to hay with minimal waste. In winter, we feed our cattle damp, fermented hay that looks like giant marshmallows. Cattle love to eat hay from a newly opened bale. They will grab the feed in their mouths and yank it to the ground. Sometimes a steer will attack the bale, tearing at it with his horns, before settling down to eat. But once that hay gets muddy or trampled they'll walk away, just as you might turn your nose up at week-old leftovers.

Being stuck in a feeder is more than unpleasant; it can be deadly. When other cattle detect that one of the herd is in trouble, they might attack the defenseless cow. It is unlovely behavior, and I try not to think about it, but there it is. Maybe the helpless cow has offended them, and now it's time for revenge. Who knows?

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Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, where she raises and sells pastured pork, lamb, eggs and grassfed beef. She can be reached at cas@milessmithfarm.com.