Moooooooooooooooooooooo!

Oh, sorry, I got sidetracked by the rest of the scenery around the farm. The title is very distinctly Moooo - ish so after a long cow drought here are some beauties from The Farm.

They are fat, healthy and looking good.

Calves have grown like weeds and mothers have kept their condition.

They have been feasting on some nice green feed, oats I think.

They are definitely enjoying it. 

Here is that Mum and baby from a few photos ago, look how round she is. It is hard for cows to keep condition like this when feeding a calf but that feed above is treating these cows well.

Here are some more photos of Mum and bub -

I wonder if this darling is guarding the entry to the good stuff.

Oops sidetracked by the scenery again, back to the bovines. These ones are are hanging out in the yards getting ready for entry in the local show where they will be entered into a feedlot and fed for a few weeks and then judged on weight gain and condition and then their carcass will be judged after they have been through the abattoir. They will then make their way to a butcher and someone's dinner plate. Despite that fact they are still gorgeous animals.

These bunch a pretty quiet and very willing to line up and come closer for photo opportunities.

As I said they got nice and close and if I had hung around longer they would have been trying to lick the camera I am sure.

This girl is going to become part of the breeder heard. She will help with the next generation. She is super friendly and curious AND snuck up on me from behind to check out what I was up to.

Now most of these young ones are limousin, droughtmaster cross cattle, all these reddish/ golden coloured cows. I think they are very pretty. Some are a bit hairy with more limousin in them and their fluffy teddy bear like ears then some have the sleek droughtmaster look with big floppy ears. These are what the farm mainly breeds although their are some hanger ons of different breeds. I am pretty sure the ones with white markings below have hereford in them, those red and white cattle, mostly red body and white face like you would find in a movie such as the 'Man from Snowy River'.

When I headed back to the house the curious teens were a little disappointed I think, following me up the fence.

I have loved hanging out at the farm but sadly it is coming up to the time we must leave, although we are stopping in at a beach along the way so I can get my REAL beach fix.

Baby Roll Call

Pippy's pups

Missy's Pups

The Fantastic Four

Say 'Hi' to Noggin

From the title you probably guessed this one already, yep another calf, another boy.

His name is Noggin because he has a big head (named by Miss S) and he is a bit of a boof head.

 

That brings us up to four poddy calves and in the words of Miss S "we've never in the history of here well that I've been alive EVER had four poddies at the same time." So because of the new addition we no longer can have the Three Stooges or Three Amigos we now have ... the Fantastic Four.

 

Noggin came in through the yards at the beginning of the week with some cows but he was just a tag along and didn't belong to any of them.

 

So he was captured ... let me tell you he is a heavy little thing.

 

 Then held on the trailer on the Toyota/ Golden Chariot for the ride back to the house.

 

While I was passenger and instructor we let Miss S have a go behind the wheel. The smile was worth it. I guess I can add driving instructor to my job description that is found way back here.

 

On arriving back at the house Noggin was released into the house yards and the recaptured for a feed. I think I must be getting pretty good at the calf wrangling bit as yet again I found myself with a calf clamped between my knee while learning to feed. He is a tall one to because I could only just stand over him with feet flat on the ground. He took to the bottle really fast.

 

Here are the other three from the Fantastic Four having a feed. Three calves on one feeder makes for an interesting feed time.

 

From left to right there is Sadie, Angel and Crusty all checking out their new yard mate.

Afternoon Feed

Okay so now I am probably going overboard with the calf photos but how can I resist sharing the three stooges and all that milky cuteness.

Angel and Sadie having their evening feed.

 

Yum, yum.

 

What's yours taste like? Can I have some?

Milk bath.

He he I got it! Lesson never take your mouth off your food.

Crusty

Clamping Crusty between my legs to feed him after catching him.

Yum, bottle time! (photo proof that I do what I say)

Gone? Are you serious?

Miss S giving Crusty another litre of milk while hold him still.

See I can do it myself. No one is holding me now.

 

Nearly empty ..

 

All gone ... You've got to be kidding!

Okay this will do I guess, tasty.

Note: Crusty is a lot easier to catch and feed than Angel who was a two or more person job. She just helps herself to the feeder now. Crusty will get the hang of the bottle soon enough he already chases it around when it is empty.