Heifers

We run Angus cattle here, they are a good hardy breed, not too large for our climate, and reasonably quiet to handle (unless of course protecting those calves from evil dogs).
Yesterday we culled (sorted) the 18 month heifers out that we want to keep for breeding.  They have to have good conformation - nice bodies, good legs and feet.  And those that will be sold had to then be tagged, so they can be traced as they move through the chain - from us, to another farmer, to the meat works, to the supermarket.  Then if anything turned up in the meat, the Ministry of Agriculture could trace them all the way back to us if they thought the fault originated on our farm.   Keeps all those consumers safe around our country and the world.

Anyway, enough of the ramble!  The heifers also received an injection of selenium and copper, which are very important trace elements to enable them to grow properly.  In fact if they are severly deficient they will die in extreme cases.  NZ is low on Selenium throughout the country, but just some places have copper deficiency. 

Then out they all went back onto the good, green autumn grass.

And I am back in the kitchen processing sauce tomatoes, apples, and blackberries.  Just think of the smell of a jar of blackberries being opened in the middle of winter - a little slice of heaven and reminder of warmer times.  Snow on the mountain this morning!