I think we solved the mystery of Mocha’s Wild Adventure. She had been leaning over the fence in search of taller, greener grass. She is in a pasture that was never intended for an animal as tall as she is, so leaning over the fence was pretty easy. And the more she leaned, the easier it got.
Once she was out, she got frightened. She is very gentle and sweet, and she likes her routine. Being on the outside is not in her routine. She huffed and puffed and went out to find Big Lily. Big Lily is protecting a young calf and so she was not particularly welcoming. Then there was the issue of the electric fence. Lily is inside an electric enclosure and Mocha has never been in one, so she got a few shocks which agitated her further.
She is now pretty happy in a small pasture next to Big Lily. I milked out there today, in the fresh air and sunshine and it worked. Mocha was spooked a few times with the activity out front, but when she was done I put her lead on her and took her for a walk around the front pasture (not yet fenced) where she got to feast on some lush green grass. We’re working on fencing this area for the cows, so she got a bit of a preview and then happily took a rest, chewing her cud in the sunlight.