Community Corner
Soule: Happy Cows Don’t Wag Their Tails
When is tail wagging not about happiness? You'll be surprised.
“Look, he’s happy. He’s wagging his tail,” said a visitor.
I watched as Titan, a 200-pound Belted Galloway steer, swished his tail. Titan had arrived at my farm with five other Belted Galloway calves a week earlier. These calves had just been taken from their moms and were not happy. Farm helper Diane and I herded the two female calves, Sadie and Claudette, into the squeeze chute, where they leaped and bounced in violent protest.
Standing outside the chute, we were safe from their antics, and with Diane’s help, we put a halter on each, attached name tags, and weighed them with a weight tape (a tape I wrap around the calf’s body to estimate its weight.)
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Then, the training began.
As each calf left the squeeze chute, I attached the end of their lead rope to a solid bar in the holding pen. Then I got out of the way.
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Sadie ran forward until the tether snapped taught, then she charged the other way. Claudette reared up, flopped on her side, jumped back to her feet, and bounced two feet into the air. I stood aside and watched, ready to release the ropes if they got tangled.
Carole is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm in Loudon, N.H., where she raises beef and shares the joys of her Farm with kids and adults. She can be reached at carole@soulecoaching.com.
