Tuesday, November 1, 2016

The Red Polls In October

I got four of six cows bred in October and am closely watching the remaining two for signs of heat. The two heifer calves, Tabitha and Maggie, have grown like weeds:

They were all obese so I stopped giving them grain in the evenings but continued to do so each morning so that I could monitor them and keep them tame. They began resisting leaving the barn after eating, though, so I had to go behind them and push, prod and poke with a cane to get them to move:

The apple supply mostly ran out in October but they all enjoyed them while they were available:

Tabitha began running in circles but Blue wasn't interested in chasing her. She didn't care, for running was enough reward:

I've had suspicions that both calves were nursing off Rosella, whose udder and teats remained small. Scarlett's udder and teats stayed swollen although I suspect the calves will drink more from her as they get bigger and require more milk:

Rosella, the last cow to calve, was inseminated again 45 days after giving birth:

One day I moved the cattle (but not the horses) across the road to the north field, where the grass had been growing for a month:

The trees at the edge of the field were becoming colorful and I also enjoyed taking photos of the cows with autumn trees in the background. I put some of the photos on the farm website:

And the cows were ecstatic about the new location. There was a lot to eat and it was free of cow manure, though I sure can't say that anymore:

The calves ran and played, then took naps. The moms ate and then chewed their cuds:

It was an idyllic scene:

As October came to an end, the Red Poll girls were happy and healthy, though not yet all pregnant:

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