The English Paysanne

To get to the long, lush growing grass on the other side. By 10 o/clock, this morning the cows at La Contie were ready to move across the road, they had been watching us in the pouring rain bang in fence posts, trim back brambles and trees and hook up the electric fence all the while mooing in anticipation. The easiest move, just opening up the gates holding them across the road for them to cross we watched as one calf just stayed and watched the others leave, normally it is Potiche at the back but after a swift round-up by farmer J, he was reunited with the small herd. All went to investigate their new surroundings apart from Potiche, who just munched and munched her way through the grass oblivious to the movement around her. We were just pleased to get back to La Singlarie to change out of wet clothes, even wellies were wet inside.

Yesterday it was time to move the cows to a new field at La Contie. With amazing weather it was hot work marking out the electric fence to keep them in, it also was a large area with old fencing needing to come down too. The cows behaved impeccably, as usual Portiche was lagging behind, she has had a bad limp for a few days but is now on stable on four hoofs. Being an old girl she is more of a plodder, preferring her own company, just as well she has three fields to mooch around in now and play cow n seek with farmer J.

Today in two trips some of the cows and their calves were taken to summer grazing at La Conite, about 5kms from our farm. It   was   not   an   easy   manouver. Cows who are too excitable and wild stayed behind here and were let out first with their calves to start nibbling their way through the lush spring grass. That bit was easy. The hard bit came in ushering the others into the trailer when really they were not that sure about it, possibly due to infrequency they go out for a drive around the countryside. It took many hours and hard graft for farmer J in the way of putting a cord round their horns and pulling them in (then securing them so they don't come out again. So now all cows are out to grass, no morning or evening feeding routine but of course there will be new routine of summer jobs to do.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Training in progress to get everyone locked down for breakfast and tea. Lots of I don't like being next to her, she has too bigger horns and she eats all the hay goings on  but we are nearly there, of course there is always one who is camera shy - the one covered in hay.

Mum could not wait for us to put clean straw down this afternoon, This little girl came into the world on a cold day but only a few hours after being born she is up and suckling. We place clean straw around as mum cleaned her up after ushering all the other cattle out. They are now in a separate part of the hanger tonight, mum is so calm and a good mother, sadly she lost her calf last year when it died at 3 months old, this one she is in love with already.

The cows at La Contie came home this morning, not that they really wanted to. It took three attempts and a bit of running to get them in a position where they could be ushered into the metal field park which contains them ready to go into the trailer. This is where the seven decided they didn't want to be contained making a break for it. Second attempt was having a long line of rope to bring them down from the hill, I was in place to stop them going through an opening to another field, I failed at my task as the seven came running towards me on a break out mission - I was not going to argue with them and let them through as they flung their legs in the air kicking. Last attempt was an electric fence put up (but not on, which the cows didn't know) to lead them along with farmer J enticing them back again with a bucket of food - and yes before you say you should of done that in the first place we did with individual buckets but today they went all  ...

Born last night this little girl has spent her first day in the fog, it has been a damp cold day but she is doing well. Farmer J managed to tag her ears tonight and take a few photos before all the cows  became interested in what he was doing. It is nearly time for them to come in for winter feeding, what grass there is has not got much goodness in it now. All the  cows here and at La Conite  are munching their way through bales of hay but while it is dry they are happier to be in the fields even if it is a bit chilly.

At the moment we have two young heifer cows in with a three year old steer in the hanger. One of the girls had a bit of an accident today, she lost the outside of her horn, which I am presuming came away after getting it stuck in the metal bars while one of the others pushed into her, it has happened before, cows loosing their horns and the outside layer of the horn was in the hay trough. They do grow back all eventually but think it must hurt a bit. Yes there was a bit of blood, it took a while to stop but being a brave cow she is carrying on as normal - easting hay. We had to separate them from the herd as the steer will soon be going off but he just will not eat his cereal. He wouldn't eat it last year either I think he may prefer coco pops. As there is not a lot of goodness in the grass that's left in the fields and a bit of a scrum at the hay feeders his had to come in to make sure his eating enough hay. He will be here for a fortnight before he leaves, the girls...

Although the cows at La Singlarie are free ranging the fields there is not a lot of grass for them so hay is on the menu from now on. Now hay does vary, some is delicious we can't get enough of it and some is well were hungry so we will eat it, some is a bit brambly and weedy and some bits may not of dried out enough when it was bailed. The later was served to the cows the other day. They sifted through the good bits and left the bad bits which have to be taken away and disposed of, usually to be burnt. A pile of old wood, off cuts from the laurel bushes and weeds has been built in the small field where the donkeys are waiting to be burnt. This is where the old hay has been placed as well. Only a donkey would eat this hay, two donkeys who are so starved they forget the morning and evening ritual of carrot and fresh hay given and have been relegated to eat the left overs. If they had the number for the SPA here I'm sure they would be on the phone consta...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie "Cows to the left of us, cows to the right here I am stuck in the middle with you". "Yes Bambou but if you look really closely my ears are behaving like cows, shall we start mooing"?

It has been a week since one of our cows had her emergency Cesarean and thankfully she is doing really well, she had a bit of a high temperature at the beginning of the week but after two antibiotic injections she will be let out tomorrow to join the herd. Her and her calf who is also absolutely fine and feeding well have been in the hanger for the week to let her get over the operation as the hustle and bustle of herd life may of interfered with her stitches healing, the fight for best position at the hay and with the free range of walking the fields may of been a bit much. Vanille and Bambou have been keeping her company, chatting over the gate. They are a bit fed up being turfed out of the bestest place ever (the hanger), not sure why they love it so much in there and we have had a week of unbroken sleep as those donkeys love to make a noise clanger the metal fences, at least it hasn't rained on them. The calf, another male has had his ear tags put in...