The Red Poll Girls

Jasmine (on the left) and all the red haired ladies move to the east side of the barn when cold westerly winds are blowing uncomfortably:

But it is winter and they live in the north country, so being out in the cold is part of life:

A highlight of their existence is any time I bring out a new hay bale and drop it into the feeder:

I move the bale feeder each time so that frozen waste hay can't build up inside and cement the feeder to the ground. It also leaves a patch of scattered hay, providing a new place for the cows to bed down at night:

On some mornings, the girls come into the barn for a bit of sweet grain, sometimes with added mineral supplements. But most mornings, they are not interested:

After a breakfast of grain, they walk back out to the bale feeder and continue to munch on hay:

But a bovine has four stomach compartments and has to spend time chewing her cud, so they also spend time relaxing and digesting:

If it is unusually cold, the cows sometimes collect at the barn door, apparently hoping I'll let them in. I used to do so, but they just pooped all over everything and then went back outside in the cold to sleep anyway, so now I leave them outdoors:

Eating hay is their main interest, their main activity. It provides nourishment and keeps their bodies warm:

They can get pretty intense when scarfing down the hay. If I want to move in front of them, I have to push them out of the way (they don't seem to mind):

Amy has the biggest udder and I worry sometimes that it will freeze, but apparently cattle have evolved with enough blood circulation there to keep their udders warm:

And when the little horses join them at the bale feeder, it seems that all is right with the world. Life is good, the animals all get along, and my own little peaceable kingdom is functioning properly:

Red Poll Ladies, Preparing For Winter

Violet is by far the biggest cow, and she is hard to miss as she grazes near the county road:

 The day was hot and the flies were bothersome when I took this photo, and the cows collected beneath the Box Elder tree for a bit of relief:

 Scarlett's udder is still a bit swollen, even long since her calf was sold. She seems happy and healthy, though, and has been artificially inseminated again:

 Jasmine's hooves are getting long again and I've taken to walking up to her when she's lying down like this and trying to clip off the tip of the longest one. So far it hasn't done any good, but I'll keep trying, at least as long as she'll let me:

 Scarlett, relaxing and chewing her cud:

 Gracie is definitely a full figured gal:

 The recently lush grass is looking shorter and sparser now. It won't be long before I start putting out the hay bales:

 Up on a sandy rise, the cows have created a couple of dust baths. They can stand there and kick dust up onto their bellies to shoo away the flies:

 A blue sky, white clouds, green grass and red cows make for an idyllic scene:

 The herd covers a lot of ground during the course of a day. They don't want to miss any green edibles:

 And the Pennsylvania Smartweed which they rejected all summer long has suddenly become a favorite edible. It happened when the plants bloomed, so my theory is that the flowers sweetened the taste:

 That's Jasmine on the left. I can see on her face that she is engaging with me. The other two, Amy and Gracie, are mostly ignoring me. Jasmine is exceptionally friendly and easily my favorite:

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:

The Red Poll Cattle

Rocket is growing into a majestic looking bull. He is sold, and I have a deposit on him. He's to be picked up in about a week and I can only hope I can get him into the barn on that morning. I've been encouraging him to come inside every morning, so he gets used to it:

 Little Lucky has reached the cute and curious stage:

 Life is good and there is much sleeping to be done:

 Gracie is a favorite aunt to little Rocket:

 Notice the sleeping position of the cow in the back (I'm not sure who it was):

 Rosella fed Lucky while Rocket grazed:

 Jasmine is very sweet but she still has hoof problems. I'm not sure how this will all work out:

 And Amy has udder problems. While she is drying off well enough, I don't believe I can or should breed her again. Sigh.

 Elvis was growing so fast, consuming so much milk replacer and taking so much time (not to mention the time spent cleaning his stall twice a day) that I decided to try selling him. But who would want a bottle baby calf? Lots of people, I found out when I advertised him. Now he has a new home:

 The herd loves to lounge beneath the Box Elder trees on the east side of the barn:

 Scarlett and Lucky, her grandson:

Mothers And Sons

Rosella has been a wonderful mother to little Lucky:

 For his part, he was content at first to sleep most of each day. But as time passed, he began running and playing with his older cousin, Rocket:

 And he sure can run fast!

 Rocket has grown so rapidly that he looks like a small adult now. He is suspicious of me if I try to get too close:

 Mother Rosella with her son, Lucky:

 Mom and boy, resting on a patch of wasted hay:

 And trotting off together for the far end of the field:

 The herd often lounges together on the leftover hay:

 After Amy gave birth to Elvis, I left them together for a day and a half. But it seemed as if the little calf could not nurse, I removed him and have bottle fed him ever since:

It was sad to separate them, but I feared he'd starve to death otherwise. Amy's last calf died at three and half days old:


 Amy was a doting mother, but her calf seemed adrift, unable to find any available milk:

 Rosella, however, doesn't have the udder problems which Amy has. She is feeding her boy lots of milk and watching out for his welfare: