Like people, cattle have friends; peers we can butt heads with, and no one is hurt. I'm not suggesting that humans like to smash our heads together, but you've seen teenage boys horsing around—same thing. Head-butting is one way that cattle interact.
There is an empty space here on Miles Smith Farm, too. The loss of Stash seems to have left his ox partner Topper emotionally needy.
Have you ever been "trained" by your pet? Then this story is for you.
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Topper, a 1,400-pound, black Highlander steer, posed for hours next to a sleigh covered with red hearts and gleaming tinsel here on Miles Smith Farm. You'd think a steer would be an unlikely participant in a Valentine's Day event. Well, think again.
The last time I saw Stash, he was standing at the gate, looking through the slats at me. I walked over, reached out, and popped an apple into his mouth. The next day he was dead.
March 20 is the first day of spring, but MY winter ends whenever the spring grass is ready for my cattle to eat. The trick is to keep them fed until then.
