Load 16 ton, what do you get?

[Doofy]

I had a mean wife and I haven't missed her a bit. Some things you can tolerate and some things you can't.

 

[orezok]

The OPs story hit home. My dad who was born in 1900 and his brother got caught up in the company store coal mine saga. They never earned enough to pay off their debt and were basically indentured servants to the coal mine. One night they stuck their spare pair of shoes in their back pockets {shoes were a very valuable commodity in the depression} and snuck off down the railroad tracks. They were able to avoid the “bounty hunters”.

 

[Citydude]

The OPs story hit home. My dad who was born in 1900 and his brother got caught up in the company store coal mine saga. They never earned enough to pay off their debt and were basically indentured servants to the coal mine. One night they stuck their spare pair of shoes in their back pockets {shoes were a very valuable commodity in the depression} and snuck off down the railroad tracks. They were able to avoid the “bounty hunters”.

Good story! My Grandfather grew up in the great depression. Hated his father when they lost their farm because his father wouldn't let his mule team be used as collateral to the bank.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

This is true but made me chuckle. For the last five years I have been telling my wife I need a tractor. She always says "I know, I know!". Lately it has just come down to "If you want that I need a bigger shovel." Well recently she has had to help me roll wrapped round bales into the pasture as I have not been able to use the mud to help slide them like I could with the ice, so she is actively searching for a tractor that we can pay for.

Earlier this winter the bull caught me and proceeded to use me for a crash test dummy half way across the pasture until our Great Pyrenees got him off me and protected me while I got the heck out of there. She had a long list of reasons we could not get him butchered then. Well last week he got out of the pasture and tore up everything he could get close to including the pasture fence, the goat pen, chicken coop, dog run and equipment. He caught her side the head with his horns, pinned me against the gate leaving me battered and bruised and hit Auggie, the Great Pyrenees when he helped me. Any guesses who is going in the freezer this weekend?

What breed? Dairy bulls are dangerous, but beef bulls are generally pretty placid. I built a barn in a pasture with a Murray Gray bull once. It kept sneaking up behind me because he wanted his ears scratched. He was a BIG bull, maybe 2000 lbs., and as sweet as they come. Naturally polled, so no horns either. He still scared me 3-6 times a day. OTOH, I had a dairy farmer next door for years and NOBODY got into the pen with his Holstein bulls.

 

[dirttoys]

What breed? Dairy bulls are dangerous, but beef bulls are generally pretty placid. I built a barn in a pasture with a Murray Gray bull once. It kept sneaking up behind me because he wanted his ears scratched. He was a BIG bull, maybe 2000 lbs., and as sweet as they come. Naturally polled, so no horns either. He still scared me 3-6 times a day. OTOH, I had a dairy farmer next door for years and NOBODY got into the pen with his Holstein bulls.

Maybe that is the delta, we had milk cows, but no bulls. Yours was much more like my experience. I always attributed it to feeding them and wrestling with them while they were little. The last bull I had, I could push him out of the feeder if he was being a hog, and not think twice about it.

Best,

ed

 

[LouNY]

I've been around cows most of my life,
there is no bull you can trust.
Even the most friendly one can turn instantly.
Even if they don't turn mad, they can kill you just as fast while being friendly.
Swinging that big head around for attention and crushing a person without even trying.
I have seen several normally placid and mild manner bulls get a hair up and turn mean.
I've seen quiet easy to handle bulls just fly of the handle at other people,
one of my uncles was afraid of cows and every bull we had would snort bellow and paw the ground when he was around.

 

[Moxie 15]

What breed? Dairy bulls are dangerous, but beef bulls are generally pretty placid. I built a barn in a pasture with a Murray Gray bull once. It kept sneaking up behind me because he wanted his ears scratched. He was a BIG bull, maybe 2000 lbs., and as sweet as they come. Naturally polled, so no horns either. He still scared me 3-6 times a day. OTOH, I had a dairy farmer next door for years and NOBODY got into the pen with his Holstein bulls.

Jersey and Ayrshire cross

 

[JDZ735M]

Any guesses who is going in the freezer this weekend?

That bull probably just needed a few more cows to keep him busy.

 

[Jstpssng]

Since we're on the subject of cows...
Many, many years ago I remember my uncle had a cow out in the pasture with a harness which held a long pole out in front of the animal, which obviously interfered when she walked. I was young and a lot of years have passed but it seems like it was several inches in diameter and stuck out considerably longer than the cow's length. I've always wondered wat it was for but never thought to ask him when he was alive. Does anybody know what it could have been for? My only thought was that she may have been mean.

 

[oosik]

Sixteen tons - what do you get. Around here - this time of year - NOTHING. Spring road restrictions will not allow a loaded gravel truck on the county roads.