Happenings In The Cow Herd

Life has been idyllic for the Red Poll cows. They spent about three weeks enjoying the tall, lush grass in the north field:

Violet, Gracie and Jasmine all proved to not be pregnant, though, and that was a problem because they earn their keep by producing purebred calves:

Even worse, they didn't appear to be coming into heat and they no longer would enter the barn for grain, something which they would have to do to be artificially inseminated:

And they were getting fat, which complicated things even more:

But they were happy and beautiful, a lovely sight for people passing by in their cars or horse drawn buggies:

I was worried, but they were enjoying life:

"What, me worry?"

I did see one encouraging sign. Violet, the cow who had the mummified calf which I hoped had been expelled after her hormone injection (but I couldn't be sure), one day stood at the fence and mooed loudly across the road to the neighbors' cattle. I hoped that might mean she was in heat, though I saw no other signs of it:

Rosella, my youngest cow, was looking especially good and was due soon. The artificial insemination man had examined her and said she was definitely pregnant. I had great hopes:

But after the fence lines were sprayed and both south fields were bush hogged, I knew it was time to move the cows back across the road:

I did so, and life returned to normal. They grazed peacefully:

But only for one day, because Teddy, a neighbor's bull, was dropped off the following day. He was a Charolais/Angus cross and an experienced herd sire. My cows ran over to check him out. They were impressed! I'll continue this saga as it plays out: