The Family Cow

On the way to the bbq yesterday we were stuck behind a heard of cows with a lone hearder walking down the middle of the  narrow country road. Victor my host Rotarian told me an interesting story about cows in this region of Ukrain (Transcarpathia)
Each family in this countryside owns at least one family cow, the cows are kept mainly as a source of milk for dairy products.
In between the feedings the cows are milked then are allowed to rest before the next journey to feed. The people of the area take turns leading the cows to a field or roadside to good grass, tending to them while they graze then leading them back home again.
What I found interesting is that all the people need do is untie their respective cow as the herd walks past and they immediatly join in the prossesion and when they head home after feeding each cow knows its own gate and as the herd passes the cow goes home on its own.
According to Victor if the people ever re-paint their fence and gate thay better do it in the same color or their cow wont come home.

The transcarpathians have a saying that if someone does not understand something and looks at you confused - they are like a cow staring at a new gate!

True story.
/g