An Update On The Red Poll Girls

A lot has been happening with the Red Poll girls. They spent much time this spring in the north field:

And then Gracie had her new baby, Gladys:

Annie and Gladys became best friends, so much so that I wondered if both were nursing from one cow. They weren't, but you can imagine how they adored each other:

It took about a week, but I was finally able to coax all the cows, including Gracie and Gladys, back across the road to the south field:

Gladys and Annie continued to be best friends, and even slept next to each other:

Gracie was very proud and protective of her beautiful little calf, Gladys:

I finally managed to get Annie locked inside the barn without her mom and the neighbor came over to give me a hand. We wrestled her into the squeeze chute, tied a rope halter on her and tattooed her ears. Then I quickly popped an ear tag on her right ear. She put up a mighty resistance and my neighbor was impressed with her strength and muscularity. Afterwards, Annie quickly returned to her life of comfort and calm. Here she is, showing her new ear tag and the insides of both ears smeared with green tattoo ink, alongside her mom, Violet:

Gladys grew quickly and learned to run and leap like a deer:

The cattle have some trees in the south field, under which they can find cool shade on a hot day. Annie and Gladys, as usual, slept side by side:

I plan to sell both calves. I hope I can find them a home together, for they sure are best friends:

I expected Annie to no longer trust me after the tattoo and ear tag wrestling match, but she seemed none the worse and continued to come inside the barn whenever I gave the big girls grain. She sniffs the grain and watches it, but hasn't eaten any yet:

I've taken to calling the cows in for grain twice a day, as I did during the coldest winter months. They don't really need the grain, but all are either lactating or pregnant, so I figure a little extra nutrition is a good idea - and also, the grain and handling keeps them tame and friendly:

Rosella, My First Red Poll Calf

Brace yourself. There are going to be a lot of "baby pictures" in the future, beginning with today's post. This is Rosella, my first calf, just after I'd tattooed her ears:

She spent most of every day during her first week hiding in the grass. There were many nights when I had to go searching for her because even her mother didn't seem able to find her:

But when they found each other, they were inseparable:

Scarlett, the mom, has showed no signs of hostility toward me, though she has certainly been anxious about her new baby:

And Rosella, for her part, runs like the wind when she isn't sleeping:

When I walked out into the field to rouse her, she looked at me irritably. I guess no one likes to be awakened:

Sometimes she hangs out behind the barn with the big girls:

The green tattoo ink in her ears is beginning to fade:

And she sleeps at night with the herd. I find them in the morning, bathed in the light of the rising sun:

Cow-rillas In The Mist:

She has no tassel on her tail yet and I'll keep watching it to see when the white hairs begin to grow:

Scarlett and Rosella, mother and daughter:

Red Poll Cattle Pictures

Now that Scarlett has calved, big bellied Jasmine is the next in line. Her udder hasn't bagged up yet, but she is due very soon:

I still bring the cows in for grain once a day. It helps me to keep an eye on them and keep them tame:

Scarlett, grazing just before she calved:

Gracie was artificially inseminated 21 days earlier, but it didn't take because she came in heat again. So I called the A.I. man and we did it all over again:

The cows enjoy the pleasant days of summer also:

Scarlett began climbing up the rock pile just before she gave birth and I shooed her away from it. Besides the treacherous footing, coyotes were howling across the road and this was too near the woods for comfort. I wanted her closer to the barn:

The cattle have eaten down the portion of the south field to which they are confined. They still seem to be in fine condition, but I am looking forward to getting the rest of the fields hayed and then making some decisions about buying more for the winter:

Little Rosella spent her first several days curled up in the grass, sleeping. The green ears are because of the ink I used when I tattooed both her ears. I'll try to be less messy next time:

Rosella was quiet and compliant while I tattooed her ears, but then she got angry and stood up. She'd had more than enough of me:

And as soon as she stood up, Scarlett trotted over to bring her back to the herd:

Mother and her green-eared daughter:

This short video caught a pasture scene with all the cows and little Rosella when she was less than one day old. The birds were singing beautifully and Scarlett gave a low, motherly moo about halfway through, so be sure your volume is turned up: