Calves' Breakfast time

They've heard the tractor so they are all lined up and waiting

Here it comes



When we wean the calves off their mothers they live beside the yards (with a fence between them and Mum) until they are settled and eating hay well, this means the all will come quickly to the hay in Winter and eat well.  It's very important when it snows that they eat a good quantity of hay, for warmth and nutrition.  We find the hoggets only really get "onto hay" (eating it not lying on it) when there is snow on the ground and they can't dig for grass, although when they get further into the winter the majority do eat some of what is offered.

And the calves REALLY love that baleage we made in desperation at the end of the hay season.  Will get some tested to see what nutritional value it has as it really was not at all what the experts tell you to use.  It was flowering, setting seed and drier than normal, but our contractor had the correct chopper and got the bales really tight, and as I say the calves just love it, and even the hoggets have been enjoying it more than the usual hay.