New year, moo adventure

On the last day of 2017, our wonderful neighbours Graham, Julie, Paddy, Liam and Lindsay from across the valley came over with a long bale of straw and two Highland cattle steers for us.  Back in October we had discussed taking on the 6-month old calf Knorr and his 18-month old half brother Dodger.  Over the weeks that followed we had prepared the barn for their arrival.  Our neighbours Graham and Julie along with their family had been instrumental in helping us convert the barn for cattle, concreting in gateposts, collecting and fitting gates as well as delivering the huge round hay bale.  They could not have made the transition from cattle shy to confident owners easier.  We had visited the boys at their farm several times to practise haltering over the horns, leading them on the halter and combing them so we could get used to each other.

Their first night in the barn, I was worried about little Knorr but he looked at me in the morning with ‘just feed me’ eyes and tucked his head into his feed bucket happily.  After a few days getting used to their new home in the barn we haltered them both and led them out to our upper field.  That night at dusk they ran into the barn with a little shaking feed bucket encouragement but ever since they just wander in themselves.  The set-up in the barn is working beautifully.  They are fed separately but then the dividing gate is opened and they sleep in the enlarged area together.

A couple of weeks on and it feels like the boys have always been here.  We love seeing them roam freely in the fields munching on and trampling down the overgrown vegetation.  They have settled in well and Dodger is not backward at telling us its teatime.  His moo as he canters down the hill as the daylight begins to fade is music to our ears.

16th January 2018