March is often referred to as the hungry month. Spring feels like it's arrived but until very recently the ground has been too wet to turn out in certain fields and this Spring the warmth that is needed to kick start the grass is a bit longer coming compared with previous photo records of turnouts
The vet came today to take the annual blood tests for the SAC Premium Health Scheme and attend to anything else that needs doing such as a few PD's (pregnancy diagnosis)
A very early start to get the bulls in from the village that have been outlying all Winter and get the handling system ready . So the first discovery was one cow, Canford Kirsty, a red Belted Galloway who didn't have a calf last Autumn as expected, had a super little red Belted bull calf overnight to TwoMills Julian Spicer (named after the late owner of Newe House who so adored the cows). Julian Spicer is now in Northern Ireland as stock bull to Hugh Reid
I decided to remove the bull last Autumn so the only other Autumn calving cow , Stonehouse Dawn 804 , should be not in calf (confirmed by the vet today), so now all the cows should be back in synch as a Spring calving herd going forward
The two Riggit Galloway cows that came down from Maggie Gordon in the Autumn, one was PD'd before departure from Barfil and the vet wasn't 100% certain Ash was incalf. Chris my vet today confirmed she most certainly is well incalf
A lot of logistics moving cattle today and now I've a good proportion of the herds turned out and it lifts my heart that I've got the cattle where I want them both physically and also in the breeding groups I've planned for so long
Bomber of Hindhope my black GCS bull is in today with TwoMills Elka my red pointed White Riggit by Hatherland Finlay and out of TwoMills Summer Jamboree. She was bulling today too so a Christmas birth under my barn calving camera for this much wanted (Riggit) calf. Barfil Cleo 7 maiden black GCS heifer also went to Bomber founding my (Black) Galloway herd. She is such a calm heifer and holds her ears forward like a rabbit definitely displaying her High Creoch "type" and with a super red tinge "Cumberland coat" , just how I like them.
The red Riggit cow group are back as a gang of four and with Stonehouse Jack Snipe in today to hopefully get Summer Jamboree back in calf soon and the other three cows when they calve
Barfil Meitheal and Alba were weaned today and seem to have settled in well with Hatherland Leonids for company. Three of the four parks in the village now have cattle in again
The Belted Galloway group are staying in for a little longer before first going to Ixworth to calve under observation and then on to a Summer at "#suttonmoo" on the Deben Estuary South of Woodbridge