The fall season means that cattle producers need to move their herds when fields of grain and oil seeds are harvested. You don’t always see the herding done with horses, but it’s a great way to move cattle. A good dog really helps too.
Robin and Connie Hill farm in the Lenore district, just a few kilometers east and north of Virden, where they run a cow-calf herd. On a beautiful fall afternoon Connie and their daughter Ricki are working the cattle out of one pasture, through a wire gate, across the road and through another wire gate.
Robin manages the move in his half-ton, picking up the cattle dog once the cattle are safely into their new pasture. “They’re my help, they’re good!” says Robin of the gals on horseback. The herd had streamed across the road just a couple of minutes previous with horses flanking them. Hill says with relief, “They almost got us at the gate,” meaning that the cattle almost missed the gate, which would have meant regathering them to try again.
The Hills are making the most of every scrap of green. On a harvested field, white plastic wrapped oat silage bales are protected from the herd by an electrified string. These bales are for winter feeding.
The herd moves quickly. They find the field interesting – it’s a new space for them.
The job is done for today and Ricki and Connie ride up to the fence for a chat. Connie explains that the cattle have been on dry feed for a few weeks now. They’ll graze off the edges of the field before they are moved to another harvested field in just a few days.
Producers expect that when late October or November rolls around, they’ll need to feed hay or straw and silage. However, this fall many Westman pastures were dry in August. Even some harvested fields are powder dry with little to no regrowth. Shallow water holes are becoming mud flats and some dugouts are dry. In the meantime, there’s rain in the forecast.
