What is going on?

Well, I used to be the supreme four-legged member of the family but suddenly I'm surrounded by all these noisy, demanding creatures and while they do live outside, they are seriously taking my humans' attention away from ME!

Yesterday for example, I thought Jenny was wanting to go exploring with me (I'd had 8 hours sleeping all day on the bed), as she put on her gumboots and headed out to my favourite expedition paddock, but NO! Half way across I realised there was the most enormous four-legged thing I've ever seen - a cow apparently. I decided to retreat to the safety of the fencepost and good thing I did too, after seeing the way that cow butted and bumped those poor wee calves tonight!

It seems she is not at all interested in having to feed the cross-breeds, despite all the advice and efforts that have been put in place, and the old biddy wouldn't even go into the shed to let them drink. So Beefy went out to where she was standing but whenever Beefy tried to have a drink she would kick him or push him over, the grouch.

Can't have that sort of bullying going on around here!

Jenny had to bottle-feed the two calves, who are still quite perky despite not much success with the feeding - Pippi is very friendly and is getting very good at recognising her name, and likes to be patted and rubbed - she will grow into a NICE house cow we hope.

Poor old Daisy has been a dairy one for so long - maybe she will do better to be just a paddock cow? She can just spend her days feeding her own calf seeing as she won't share! Seems to me she should be making the most of having lazy days to lay in the sun, something I specialize in!

Tailing Time for the Famous Five!

Borrowed the rubber ring thingee from Brent to apply rings to the tails of the five lambs. First owner built pens and a chute thingee (advice on names of farm equipment appreciated please) so we corralled the five into there for picking up as they're fast wee buggers and only Shadow and Cuddles are any good at coming to us so far. Must go check on Cuddles - he was having trouble sitting down - kept jumping up like a bee had stung him! Have decided not to de-man the boy lambs as they will become food sources before they get too big and amorous!

Picked up a jersey dairy cow and her calf yesterday evening from Bernie Rye - a chance conversation with him about the calves from the Hunters and next thing he's offering us a cow to feed them with.  She's lame so can't walk to and from the milking shed for any distance but is fine to feed the calves.

So this morning, following the advice Bernie gave us, I put her (Daisy) into the shed with the calves and they soon started feeding.  Pippi however had trouble finding a teat, even with me trying to help her, but eventually was able to get some sucking done.  Went back later with a bottle for her as she hadn't had much. Daisy kept pushing her away too so will have to watch that and keep fingers crossed that they get to like each other.

Beefy got completely shat on as he had his head between Daisy's two back legs and she off-loaded twice (I think she does that to let me know what she thinks of me!)  Her own calf, a jersey bull, was fine as has been doing this for a week now.  Kieran has named him Ginge. He actually has speckles like a baby fawn but Bambi just didn't seem to suit him.

Will keep an eye out for a one-stand electric milking machine - let me know if you know of any for sale - so can maybe milk Daisy for ourselves once the calves are grown. That's if she ever decides she likes us enough to let us catch her!

Stocking the Ranch

Well the paddocks are filling up fast. We seem to be the Brad and Angelina of animal adoptions:

On Saturday we took deliver of two 3-week lambs from Leeanne McLeod - named Shadow (because he keeps following the other one) and Cuddles (because he doesn't take the bottle unless he's wedged under an arm or between legs).

On Monday Hugh Diack dropped off three more lambs, two females and one male - they are the trio that have now given us the Famous Five (are known as Timmy, George and Julian - but aren't specifically labelled).

Today we drove to the Hunter's farm and picked up two Jersey-cross calves, a male 'Beefy' (is destined for our freezer) and a female - called Pippi in recognition of the knee-high white socks she has. Both a very nice chocolate colour with white markings.