A Visit To A White Park Cattle Farm

I arrived at the farm on Sunday afternoon and got the dogs settled and comfortable. Then I drove east toward Malone to visit a local farmer who raised American British White Park cattle. He was expecting me, and I found him already in the barn when I arrived:

He began by introducing me to two yearling heifers who, if I remember correctly, were going to be shown at the State Fair in a week or so:

One of the heifers was particularly friendly and kept coming over for a scratch and to lick my arm:

The older cows and a few calves were in another section of the barn and they too were interested in seeing what this stranger was there for:

They were friendly critters, much like Red Polls I've written about previously. Both breeds are notable for their docile temperaments, medium size and naturally hornless (polled) genetics:

Hello. Are you bringing us any food?

Even though there were pastures available, these ladies were content to eat hay inside the barn. It was hot that day and perhaps they enjoyed the shade:

I took one last shot of the cattle inside the barn and we walked outside to the cattle in the field:

There were two cows in the first field who were soon to give birth and lots more, both steers and heifers, in an adjacent field:

I was interested to compare the White Parks friendliness to that of Red Polls, so I walked over to the the expectant cows to scratch their sides. They were not afraid, but not sure they wanted a stranger's hands on them either. I decided that White Parks would make a fine choice for me when the time comes. Red Polls or White Parks - or maybe both, I'll have to decide when the time comes:

The couple who owned the farm also rescued cats and these cats were very friendly, rubbing up against our legs wherever we walked, rolling onto their backs for a scratch whenever we stopped:

I took one last photo of a White Park and the field beyond. Then we began walking back toward my car:

Another friendly cat looking for attention. These people had rescued many cats and had them spayed or neutered as well as vaccinated. They were obviously well cared for. There were dogs in a fenced yard behind the house as well, but I didn't get to meet them:

And just as I was about to leave, I saw this contented feline comfortably resting over the wheels of their stock trailer. I thanked the farmer and began the return trip back to my awaiting dogs: