Red Poll Girls - An Update

The dogs and cats may be warm and comfy indoors (see yesterday's post), but the Red Polls have to stay outdoors in all kinds of weather. I feel sorry for them but they don't seem to mind the weather at all. I guess they evolved to live outdoors and are equipped to handle it:

I think that Violet has weaned her calf and is looking especially fat and shiny now that she no longer needs to produce all that milk:

A cow's life consists almost entirely of eating, pooping, sleeping and cud chewing:

With eleven cattle to feed, I have had to haul in a five foot diameter hay bale nearly every other day. The cattle rush forward to attack the new hay, so I have to be careful not to hit them with the tractor:

It's hard to believe that Rosella was just a cute little heifer calf herself a year ago. Now she's a big girl, and hopefully carrying her own baby:

A couple of this year's calves walked over to where Rosella was lounging. They've grown so incredibly fast that they seem almost as big as Rosella:

Autumn and early winter have been kind to the herd. They seem relaxed and comfortable, without the summer flies to pester them:

Number six is Gladys, my favorite calf from this year. I'll miss her but am glad she's going to a good home where she'll be kindly treated:

Loretta is going to the same home as Gladys - as is Annie. This year's first three calves were sold to the same herd:

Rosella and Pearl seem to hang out together a lot, causing me to wonder if, having the same mother, they share personality traits which make them so compatible:

Scarlett remains, at this point, the only cow not yet bred for next year. I watch her carefully for signs that she's come into heat, but haven't yet seen anything:

 

I saved this photo because of the facial expressions on the front two cows, two of the expressions which have helped endear these animals to me. Rosella is in the lead, looking cute and innocent. That's Scarlett behind her, with that inquisitive look: