Trying to make everyone happy

Today was a little hurried (even for a Saturday), we were waiting at the feed store before 8:00am to pick up feed and also 5 more cattle panels to go along with the 5 we had at the house.

Bella, April and May have been in the barn lot for the last few months separated from the other cows since the neighbors bull was dropped off. Things were working fine with them in the barn lot until about three weeks ago. Bella started thinking she was a baby again and my walk thru the lot to the barn became a little difficult. When I opened the gate until I stepped into the barn I had an 800 pound calf (Bella) jumping and running around me excited to see me. This would be fine if she were one of the goats, when they have stepped on my foot previously its just a little ouch but if Bella were to step on my foot.....

So the first thing we had to do was fence off the hay and cut an opening from the side barn lot into the upper fenced off area (this area had been  previously fenced off) its about an acre. This will give the calves a bigger area to run in, actually three times bigger than the barn lot. They can still get into the barn lot (but only a small area) so they can get to a corner of the pond. This will leave just the milk cow in the barn lot so its a lot easier (for me) to walk into the barn lot to care for the other animals. We have it set up now where when I walk into the barn lot to the left is a fenced off area for the goats at night and they have the back stall to get into. Bella, April and May are in a fenced area straight forward and they have the lean to off the side of the barn. The milk cow has the barn lot for now and the stall in the center of the barn. When the kids are born we now have a fenced area that's another lean to on the other side of the barn for them and their moms to go to when leaving the birthing stall (the birthing stalls are inside the barn back left). The cows have the rest of the ground to run on (hope that all makes since), I think this takes care of and keeps everyone happy for a while....I hope

Here is Bella with the bull on the other side of the fence, she will not be a year old until April so we do not want her anywhere near the bull until at least this fall. April and May he seems to not be paying any attention to just Bella....

This is the lean to on the side of the barn that the calves can to get under if  they want to, it has the barn and two side walls so the only opening is that in the picture. They are still not to happy about it though, they had one of the barn stalls inside the barn to go into before and I keep a night light on in the barn soooo......Anyway hubby has found another item that needs our immediate attention, we did not realize the tin had gotten that bad on this side of the barn. Another item added to the to do list for the summer new tin for the barn....oh well could be worse I guess, at least the barn is still standing.....

These items ended up being an all day job and what with working in the mud all day.... nothing worse than lugging around another 10 pounds of mud on your clothes while working. We were both covered so bad in mud that when we were finished we took turns, while he fed the animals I left my shoes on the porch and gently walked through the house to take a shower and change, then after he fed he did the same. It felt really good after working hard all day to get out of wet muddy cold clothes and relax with a hot coco! There is no better feeling than setting down and relaxing knowing you have done a good and productive hard days work! :)