Sunday 21 October 2012

Drafting Video

Drafting a video by The Govie on Flickr.
 
Drafting cattle means that they are splitting them into groups. Usually here these groups are calves (babies), weaners (teenagers), heifers (young female who hasn't had he first calf), steers (castrated male), breeders (the breeding cows), spay cows (cows that have been spayed, are barren or are going to be spayed) and bulls.
If you notice in the video Boss R is very patient with the cattle and does things nice and quiet and slow. He is letting them decide to go for the most part rather than forcing them too much so the cattle don't get too worked up. All he has with him is a normal old stick which he mostly just uses to give them a guiding poke in the right direction.
 
Also you will note that we are behind the cattle so that they want to go forward and don't get spooked. In the background you may see Boss Lady R and Boss Lady H manning the gates for the weaners and calves to go through as well as Boss H up on the crows nest opening the gates. The Boss Ladies are there so the cattle don't try to come back through the gate as well as to help when the gates get stuck.

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