- Location
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
At last, a proper spot of rain has had me put the baler back to bed for a minute. We’ve had another manic session, trying to get ahead for once. Yields are running 10-15% above what I might expect, and so far everything has gone in the bale looking and smelling pretty good. Given the stock of fodder I managed to carry over, it looks like we’ve an immense amount put by. There are even mutinous suggestions among the troops that we turn the cows into what’s left, but there’s a managerial veto on that. If winter arrives early, and finishes late, we’ll still eat every scrap of it. There are only 2 blocks left to go, and 250 bales will see it.
I optimistic we’ll hunt fetch down the last 2 mobs of sheep to clip in the next few days, and then it’ll all start to be looking a bit more shipshape…I might even venture of the hill with some store lambs. I’m not going to admit that there are still 2 heifers out to moor, who should be in with the bull. But if I were to fess up, I’d point out that one is a sweet natured thing, but a bit wee to be bulling, and the other is the one being crabbed, so she can simply run to fat, and take a trip when she and I are next met. That’ll learn her. Or would if I was going to own up to it.
I would also like to be able to tell you that the bulls have settled with their harems, and all is well on their sunlit uplands. But that would be another whopper. See, the 10 Galloways put in with top South Devon Dave won’t mix with his more usual orange wives, so he has to amble up to ½ mile between each group every day….I’m sure he can cope, but I’d be a lot happier if they’d keep together. I am reminded that a pal once told me to stop worrying about a ram who didn’t seem to be travelling very far. ‘Go on’ he said, ‘you could tie the tup to the field gate and the yows would still get in lamb’.
Then there are some issues with 3rd string Riggit bull Peeps. His sole task is to extend his unusual genetics another generation – I know I’ll need his line in a minute, and I’m just keeping him with a handful of cows to facilitate this. It might sound a bit harsh, but this way, he gets an extended life which he would otherwise have forfeited long since. The problem is that he has learned to count. He knows full well that Dave has 35 wives or more, and that grumpy short legged Angus Bruce has nearer 50. Even the new yearling Beltie has got 15 to run round after for goodness sake. So why, Peeps wants to know, has he only been given 10 cows? He’s 6-7 years old, and in very much in his prime. He’s in a rare sleek condition, muscles painted on by Michael Angelo and skin glistening with an oily glow. He’d happily do every cow on the farm if only I wasn’t such a meanie.
Within days of his being put to his allotted task he was testing boundaries and looking over the fence, where the grass is not only greener, but inhabited by frisky frolicking heifers un-numbered. While I was briefly off site, he went and did a spot of gardening with a non-farming neighbour. She does B&Bs, and there was a certain amount of excitement as this great grumbling creature was found padding about the lawn. Alison fetched him back from that excursion, and moved his group to a more secure location. 2-3 days later though, as I was trundling past the Belts with their fancy new beau, I spotted the piebald toe-rag marching through them, with in glint in his eye. Looking up across the field, sure enough there was gate with a bowed top rail….the sure sign of a travelling bull who has learned to jump.
He was easy enough to out back where he was meant to be –he is a very kind natured soul to handle, and generally a pleasure to behold. But if this behaviour persists, he’s in for the rudest shock of all. I did tag a couple of very nice heifer calves of his this spring, and precious though his line is, he doesn’t seem to grasp that I might very well keep it alive through the female line instead! Careful son, you’re on thin ice!
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Anton's articles are syndicated exclusively by TFF by kind permission of the author and WMN.
Anton also writes regularly for the Dartmoor Magazine and the NFU
He has published two books; the second "The Complete Bullocks" is still in print
http://www.anton-coaker.co.uk/book.htm
I optimistic we’ll hunt fetch down the last 2 mobs of sheep to clip in the next few days, and then it’ll all start to be looking a bit more shipshape…I might even venture of the hill with some store lambs. I’m not going to admit that there are still 2 heifers out to moor, who should be in with the bull. But if I were to fess up, I’d point out that one is a sweet natured thing, but a bit wee to be bulling, and the other is the one being crabbed, so she can simply run to fat, and take a trip when she and I are next met. That’ll learn her. Or would if I was going to own up to it.
I would also like to be able to tell you that the bulls have settled with their harems, and all is well on their sunlit uplands. But that would be another whopper. See, the 10 Galloways put in with top South Devon Dave won’t mix with his more usual orange wives, so he has to amble up to ½ mile between each group every day….I’m sure he can cope, but I’d be a lot happier if they’d keep together. I am reminded that a pal once told me to stop worrying about a ram who didn’t seem to be travelling very far. ‘Go on’ he said, ‘you could tie the tup to the field gate and the yows would still get in lamb’.
Then there are some issues with 3rd string Riggit bull Peeps. His sole task is to extend his unusual genetics another generation – I know I’ll need his line in a minute, and I’m just keeping him with a handful of cows to facilitate this. It might sound a bit harsh, but this way, he gets an extended life which he would otherwise have forfeited long since. The problem is that he has learned to count. He knows full well that Dave has 35 wives or more, and that grumpy short legged Angus Bruce has nearer 50. Even the new yearling Beltie has got 15 to run round after for goodness sake. So why, Peeps wants to know, has he only been given 10 cows? He’s 6-7 years old, and in very much in his prime. He’s in a rare sleek condition, muscles painted on by Michael Angelo and skin glistening with an oily glow. He’d happily do every cow on the farm if only I wasn’t such a meanie.
Within days of his being put to his allotted task he was testing boundaries and looking over the fence, where the grass is not only greener, but inhabited by frisky frolicking heifers un-numbered. While I was briefly off site, he went and did a spot of gardening with a non-farming neighbour. She does B&Bs, and there was a certain amount of excitement as this great grumbling creature was found padding about the lawn. Alison fetched him back from that excursion, and moved his group to a more secure location. 2-3 days later though, as I was trundling past the Belts with their fancy new beau, I spotted the piebald toe-rag marching through them, with in glint in his eye. Looking up across the field, sure enough there was gate with a bowed top rail….the sure sign of a travelling bull who has learned to jump.
He was easy enough to out back where he was meant to be –he is a very kind natured soul to handle, and generally a pleasure to behold. But if this behaviour persists, he’s in for the rudest shock of all. I did tag a couple of very nice heifer calves of his this spring, and precious though his line is, he doesn’t seem to grasp that I might very well keep it alive through the female line instead! Careful son, you’re on thin ice!
-------------------------
Anton's articles are syndicated exclusively by TFF by kind permission of the author and WMN.
Anton also writes regularly for the Dartmoor Magazine and the NFU
He has published two books; the second "The Complete Bullocks" is still in print
http://www.anton-coaker.co.uk/book.htm
