Abouts Cows and Bulls

Back to the subject of cows. Periodically my father would need to take our cow to be bred and on at least one occasion I recall wondering what was going on. I suppose he led the cow out to a farm near the west end of the town where the farmer kept a bull. I do not remember ever discussing sexual matters with either of my parents. On the occasion of my father taking the cow to be bred I seem to recall asking about the event but only an evasive answer was forthcoming. I suspect that since both of my parents grew up on a farm they learned about the subject by witnessing what happened to farm animals. Without realizing that their children did not have this background they simply sidestepped the issue by indirection.

When I became aware of the difference between the sexes I’m not sure but it was after my fourth grade in school. What I learned was from other children at school in a haphazard and clandestine way. I recall a few incidents that I did not understand the import of at the time which over a period of time fell into a consistent pattern. By the time I was in the eighth grade I was aware of all the essential information.

When we were on the farm we had to note when the cows were in “heat” and then we were instructed where the cow should be taking for breeding. A cow in heat tries to act as a bull with the other cows trying to mount them. Farmers kept a bull only when they had enough cows to warrant the expense and the three farmsteads of which we were one (we, the Lines and the Woodard places) didn’t have enough cows. The nearest bull was at Vic Telleen’s farm about a quarter of a mile to the east of the Peterson farm. But I remember excursions to either Ernest Anderson’s or Ralph Carlon’s which were twice as far away or more.

When there were several cows it is easy to detect when a cow is in hear from its actions relative to the other cows — I still don’t know how to tell if there is only the single animal as was the case at the little brown house.

A bull can be a dangerous animal. Ernest Anderson died as a result of an encounter with the bull he kept.