Impeccable Timing
By: Whitley B. Lemons
Tags: Farming

Cows Always Know.

Photo by Alex Azabache on Unsplash

My mother has said over and over again, “Cows always know when the timing is right. They always know!”

Life on a farm is always an adventure, especially when cows are involved. Their timing is impeccable! Regardless of the shanigan, such as getting out or birthing, they always know the best, or should I say the worst, timing!

How Do They Know?

I am simply amazed at the timing our cattle possess! It never ceases to amaze me how a herd of cows or simply one, single cow knows, but they know when the time is absolutely perfect for them to bust out of a field and make a run for it! Where they think they are going, or why they think they need to escape is an unsolved mystery as well. Some may think there must be a fencing issue or poor construction. But, that isn’t always the issue; cows can just find a way to get out.

I recall countless times our cows have gotten out. It is never on a day when we are home, or when the weather is nice, or when we are simply doing nothing. No! It is always the opposite! You can bet your money that our cows will get out at the absolute worst time. But why? How do they know? My mother grew up on a dairy farm in rural Central Kentucky, she says this has been the story of her life! They always know!

Timeless Tales

Holidays! Yes, holidays are supposed to be a day we look forward to; as something special such as a meal or gathering will happen. But, as I have come to learn all too often, this seems to be the perfect day or time for our cows to decide to bust through a gate, open a gate, or simply walk through a fence. My mom remembers many special holiday events they were late for or even missed out on because their dairy cows would cross the creek and mash down fencing to get to another farmer’s field. She has told the story often of a church Christmas play she had worked hard for and looked so forward to performing in. Of course, the night of the play a young steer got out and the others followed. She tells how she had to go on to church with her grandparents, but her parents and brother missed out because they had to get the steers back in the lot and then fix the fence they destroyed in the process!

At our farm now, the cows only get out on the days my mom and I are home alone. And again, you can bet it will either be raining or snowing! This past fall when we hadn’t had rain for weeks, maybe close to months, on a peaceful, yet blustery Sunday morning, we looked up and saw two cows walking through the yard. Now, you might think, at least it was only two. No, that is usually almost always worse! Trying to get one or a couple cows back in usually turns disastrous! That day was no exception! It had just started to rain, it was church time, and my dad was called in to work! My uncle had already left for church and my grandfather was gone fishing. So, that left my mom and I to get those cows back in. As expected by us, it took an hour to get said cows back in their lot! After we got them back in, we had to fix the electric fence that was not working. After what seemed like another hour, we finally found the “grounded” wire that electricity was not reaching! We were able to fix that then tightened the loose strands. So, it seems easy enough, right? Nope! The story doesn’t end there. Once we were back in the house, nice and dry, and our nasty clothes changed, we looked out about two hours later, and you guessed it, cows out again!

You Can Learn a Lot From a Cow

Once a cow finds a route or path out, they will continue to use that same route until it is completely, absolutely no longer possible for them to get through; because the farmer finally got it fixed and unbreakable. Cows are very smart and dedicated animals. If it is on their mind and they have a route, they will just keep getting out. In fact, a person could hide and watch as the cow or cows go back to their secret path and get out. We have actually figured out how some cows were getting out by doing exactly that!

Also, cows are good at hiding. They may not actually realize they are hiding from a person, but you can easily miss a stray cow in a pasture and leave it out after getting the rest of the herd back where they belong. Then, hours later, that stray cow might just come walking through your yard!

A person could learn a lot by just watching a cow or herd as they navigate their escape routes!

Impeccable Timing

I can definitely say that I love our cows. They make me so happy to watch as they graze in the field, or as the young babies play with one another. They are usually gentle animals and certainly easy to listen to when they moo. But, their timing is absolutely impeccable! I sometimes joke and tell my family we should quit planning things out loud enough for the cows to hear.

Farming may not always be easy but it sure keeps you entertained and on your toes!