Calves Turn now

April is the time we wean our calves, and after this the cows are a real pleasure to handle.  Apart from Blue tag 5, she is on a one way trip to the freezing works.  She is truly nasty, as she is not after the dogs, but us!  When they are like that they stir up the other normally placid cows too.  I managed to identify her yesterday as she was facing off at me (and being whacked on the nose with my polythene pipe), it was that or have me flattened, not something I would enjoy at all. 

Anyway we got the cows and calves off the hill the other day,  one of those out of the box Autumn days.  Not a breath of wind, and in the mid 20's (degC).  All went well, and we were finished by late morning.

Then yesterday was spent in the yards separating the cows and calves, and tagging the calves that are in the calf sale today.  The rest we vaccinated (for those nasty cloistridial diseases), drenched (against the worms)  and dipped (to prevent the lice).  The cows were let out beside the calves, makes for much easier weaning if Mum is right beside them, and the calves were kept in the yard overnight, just so they weren't silly and raced through any wire fences.  They were let out this morning, and are very happy on their grass, and wallowing in the dam.

They will spend the next 4 days beside each other, and then Monday the vet comes and we Pregnancy test the cows.



Cows and calves in the yard.  Haven't the calves grown since marking time!




Autumn colours




Cows and calves coming off the hill