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On Tuesdays

Gentle Cattle

Today I was left in charge of checking the water for the twenty month old heifers. They were lounging about in the sun soaking up the last nice warm day that we will have for a while. When I was opening the gate to walk down into their pen, they all looked my way wondering what I wanted. When I approach cattle I do not make any eye contact, because direct eye contact only seems to threaten them. So I walked through the gate with my head down being very careful to take very slow steps. The little heifers just laid there not bothering to get up. It is powerful walking through lounging cattle to where they feel at ease, it is an amazing feeling.
Gentle cattle are worth every bit of time and effort that we put into them. My son, Tyler Mayer is working to gentle down his herd of bought cattle by walking through them in the cake line, feeding them cake out of his hand. Our cattle here on the Mayer Ranch are gentle and we take pride in that. My husband, Jim Mayer is what we call the Pied Piper in the way he can calm cattle down, by being in their presence. Keeping a calm disposition around the herd pays big dividends when it is time to calve out heifers. Heifers sometimes require close proximity during the birthing process.
Disposition is important for the handlers as well as the herd.

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