Teddy And His Harem

Teddy, the rented bull, made himself right at home with my Red Poll cows. They liked him and he liked  them:

He wasn't bossy or pushy, but generally happy to be a quiet, unassuming herd member:

If a cow was in heat, he might butt her playfully, but mostly it was the other way around:

When no cow was in heat, Teddy was happy to hang out with the boys, the two miniature horses. When the neighbor dropped off grass clippings, Teddy even shared with his horsey buddies:

When the cows arrived, however, the horses backed off:

Teddy was bigger than any of the cows, but not by as much as I'd expected. He was basically a gentle soul, though I never pushed my luck by walking out among them as I normally do when it's just cows:

I haven't actually seen him breed a cow, but every now and then he pairs off with one and they act like a couple of teenagers at the mall. I feel quite hopeful that this plan will work, though I won't have purebred calves next year. On the other hand, I've already got one order for a mixed breed heifer calf:

They all come in together sometimes for a cool drink of water from the stock tank:

And they all hang out under the trees when it's really hot:

Teddy doesn't seem to mean any harm, but this photo may help illustrate why I don't walk around him. If I go out into the field, I drive the tractor:

There are times when it really looks like he has a harem, and he's the leader. But usually, they are just gentle friends:

And they make a picturesque scene as they graze. I am blessed to live in the midst of so much rural beauty: