The Red Poll Ladies

I began the season with 77 big, round hay bales but only have 18 left. I am wondering if there will be enough to get the girls through to pasture time. Of course I have small bales in the barn's hay loft, so I can extend their hay supply with those if I need to. They are big, hungry animals, whose main activity is eating and processing food:

They haven't received much grain this winter, but it is clear that none of them are losing weight. In fact, I fear they may have gained weight!

They stand mostly to eat, then lie down to chew their cuds and nap. They don't burn many calories except perhaps to keep warm in the cold:

Life is good, and I wonder if they had the choice, would they choose winter with its cold or summer with its biting flies. I'm sure they'd prefer green grass to hay, but the heat and flies must surely be uncomfortable:

They seldom move from the east side of the barn, and if the winds are especially biting, they get right up next to the barn wall:

The pasture became covered with a slick layer of thick, dangerous ice, so I was happy to see the cows staying on the east side of the barn, where there is lots of waste hay to give them traction:

When the neighbor sheep farmers dumped two loads of stemmy hay, the girls ate their fill and then used the remainder for a soft, comfy bed:

Cow number five is Rosella, and she was sound asleep. The bald spot on her spine is from enthusiastic eating and rubbing on the top of the bale feeder:

Cud chewing is a necessary part of digestion:

But always they need more hay:

And then they snooze:

I don't remember if I put the bale feeder this close to the barn or they pushed it there - but I'm guessing it was the latter. I usually try to keep it away from the barn wall so snow and ice falling from the roof don't hit it or the cows: