Friday, July 20, 2018

The Red Poll Girls

Life continues in relaxed summer mode for the cattle and the horses. Everyone made it through the big heat wave and now life is easy again - except, perhaps, for the summertime flies:

Scarlett's udder became swollen and sore after her calf, Rocket, went to his new home but she quickly adapted and has already been artificially inseminated again for next year. Scarlett is a good mother and very fertile. That's Rosella, her first calf born here, next to her. They still hang out together:

The grass has been kept eaten down to a reasonable height since I bush hogged the field, though there are thistles growing up again which I will try to use the weed-whacker on:

Jasmine, once obese, infertile and lame, has rebounded to a healthy, happy, beautiful cow. She is also the most affectionate of them all. I believe I saw her in heat this summer and am hoping she will be able to get pregnant again - not only for my sake, but also because it will be healthy for her:

Grass eating sessions are interspersed with cut chewing/sleep sessions. Life is good:

Lucky certainly enjoys a good nap, here seen with Rosella and Scarlett, his mother and grandmother:

Gracie is the one cow who has not slimmed down this summer. She's still quite tubby. I can sympathize with her:

Gracie again. A full figured lady needs time to rest and recuperate:

I cleaned the barn floor and the next morning, Amy and Scarlett stayed inside after their grain so they could eat that nice, new hay. I had to push them out the door before they covered all that clean hay with manure:

The east side of the barn is shady in the afternoons, and also where the compost piles and a couple of Box Elders are located. On a hot day, the herd often moves here to relax:

On hot mornings, they crowd together beneath the small Box Elder on the south side of the barn. It offers a small amount of shade and their closeness allows them to rub against each other to get rid of the bothersome flies:

Lucky is reaching the age where he might be ready for his new home. He is growing at an amazing rate:

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