Early morning wake up call that wasn't snow related!!

I haven't really had much of a problem with the cows getting out.  Pigs, at least once a year they manage to find a weak spot but not the cows.  This morning I had a guy covering me for snow at work as I need to wrap up a planting project during the day.  So I was jolted out of my much needed rest at 4:30 am to the sound of the dog barking because someone rang the door bell......what?  So I go out to find the neighbor at our door and she tells me that when she went out to start her car for work there were cows and pigs everywhere!!!

Sure enough, everyone was out.  So the wife and I headed down after dressing for the 10 degree weather outside.  I started calling the pigs and got some milk for them while my wife went out around the neighbors house to see if she could get them to head back to the barn.  Within about 5 minutes the pigs realized I had milk and came running back.  A few of the cows followed including Fifty, the matriarch of the herd.  I chased her in the barn with the pigs.  After getting her in she mooed a couple of times and the rest of the herd came running back to the barn and in the gate!!!!   It was never this easy when I was a kid to get the cows back in when they got out!

So, the question is, how did they get out!?  Well, apparently someone was scratching or rubbing on the new gate that is the outside of the headlock.  It has a quick latch on the post and a special pin that is bolted to the end of the gate.  Well, from all the pushing they twisted the pin and the gate simply flew open and away they all went.  I will need to get some heavier bolts on these pins as it simply clamps on and if they turn this easy they will need to be tighter and I may even need to weld them on.  In the mean time and for the rest of the future this gate will be backed up with a chain just like all the others!

Sigh......I just have another day or two of work to finish up and I don't see that happening for at least another week.....Gonna be a long cold cold winter!  But at least for now everyone is back where they are supposed to be!

Kenny