The Poultry Keeper

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2205 Location: North Cornwall

First the happy Laughing

I bought Flora as a tiny, half starved Highland calf when she was 8months old just as company for Gladys who I was buying at the same time. We soon realised that she was trough shy and had been bullied which was why she was so small and thin. After being given a trough of her own she fed well and improved. During her first summer here we noticed her breathing was a bit raspy and by the time she was 18months we knew things were not right, so had our vet take a look at her. After examination and tests he told us her lungs were badly damaged. She had been born out on the moor, rounded up with the other calves and brought inside where the vet thought she had caught virus pneumonia which had gone untreated. He told us this would probably lower her fertility so much that she would never have a calf. Also he had seen cattle with the same condition die due to stress of the calf growing inside them. By this time we were very fond of her and knew we would keep her no-matter what.
When others calved she was always very interested and we knew she would love to have a calf of her own, so when the AI man came to do Gladys we made the decision to chance it and have Flora done as well. Gladys took first time and gave us Bonnie Girl, but Flora went on to have another four goes, all unsuccessful, so we thought the vet had been right.
But last year, I bought the very gentle, handsome and lovely Highland bull Nevis, and he managed first time what the AI man had failed to do with five attempts.
Flora outwintered on our higher fields where she breaths more easily and looked the most beautiful we had ever seen her [ see 'Two of my Girls' ]. She got passed the nightmare 7months stage and last week we brought her and the others down near the barns to be ready, and on Thursday afternoon, with the vet in attendance - just in case- she had a beautiful little heifer calf. She coped much better than we had ever hoped, remembering she is 5years old now, quite old to be having a first calf, but she is nice and milky and being a lovely and proud mum.
Now the sad Crying or Very sad

Gladys's calf this year, also a heifer, came two weeks early and was born dead. Both Flora and Gladys worked together trying to get the little dead calf going until after 6hours they seemed to know it was hopeless and walked away.
Gladys stayed with Flora until her calf was born and then walked out of the barn Crying or Very sad

Some people would say they are only animals and dont have feelings. I disagree, I think they have many feelings which us humans are afraid to face.
Anyway, here she is, Flora's baby, Gracie. Posh name on her pedigree will be Amazing Grace of The Bridie Very Happy

CP · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:44 am Post subject:

Awww, that's brought tears to my eyes Jan! What a lovely story, but also sad for Gladys. Crying or Very sad

Gracie is beautiful & I bet Flora is a very proud mum. Very Happy

I agree with you about animals having feelings. You only have to hear about the way elephants behave when one of them is ill or dying to know that they do.

Lisa · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:42 am Post subject:

Ah, what a sweetie. So sad to hear the other calf didn't make it Crying or Very sad

I'm sure they all have feelings too and think a lot of people just don't want to face that. Its just too inconvenient - its tough enough to think that the piece of meat neatly wrapped in plastic in the supermarket comes from an animal, let alone a thinking feeling one Confused

Jan - have you read the book "the secret life of cows"? IIRC the cows there all seemed to strike up friendships and groupings of their own. I found it fascinating!

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7313 Location: isle of lewis

jan the roofs leaking ,
when i first started dog training it was hammered in that what was put in was what made the animal behave as it did, that along with past experience (don't know if this is still the case ),after spending more and more time just watching cows goats,working dogs even hens ,there is so much more
our 2 crofts are being refenced this year and the more i read about your highlands the more tempted i am

Lisa · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:49 am Post subject:

debcat · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:39 am Post subject:

Jan she's beautiful,
really sorry about Gladys

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2205 Location: North Cornwall

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7313 Location: isle of lewis

a freind has some highlands and one cow hates her
her husband told her not to be so silly ,she had never done anything to it
he watched her one day ,when she hung the washing ,and told her never to go in the feild ,she's fine with everyone else ,when i go to the farm one cow is fasinated with me she follows me up and down ,doesn't want me to touch her but watches everything i do really carefully Wink

,i think leaving the book for a while might be an idea Confused

traditionalbritishfowlco · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Posts: 243 Location: lancashire

that is one cute calf, and what a story!

anyone who thiks animals dont have feelings has never met an animal!

Sparklepeeps · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1955 Location: Cheshire

this cow book... would it be interesting to people who dont have cows and have never really been around them (little city girl here?), you have me intrigued.

We nearly bought a house on the opposite side of the lane that had cows coming up to the back of the garden, on this side of the lane we dont, I really regret that, and when I pass the only field that has cows in it on a 20mile cross country commute to work each day, I always slow down and look at them...I cant help it, I find them fascinating.

rubychik · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:59 pm Post subject:

aww what a sad and happy story, they are so sweet.

traditionalbritishfowlco · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Posts: 243 Location: lancashire

you can have my copy sparkle, i actually didnt think much of it! but you may love it!

mojo · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:12 am Post subject:

roofs leaking on a fat fool...........hugs for all from france

Fenn · Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 2292 Location: Shrewsbury

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwww and ohhhhhhhh as well - we also appear to have a leaky roof, lots of them around today Rolling Eyes