Poppy's heifer calf - just a couple of hours old
The first calf our herd produced, all the way back in 2003 was a beautiful heifer that we called Poppy. She has over the years grown into a lovely cow who resembles her mother, Nancy. Since her first, she has borne a succession of excellent bulls including the notable “Elvis” so-called because of his first few very shaky-legged days.
This morning, on checking the mums groups, Poppy and Pepper were missing; a sign that something may have changed in the night. A quick glance over the brow of our small hill revealed the two cows, Pepper’s calf and standing pretty firmly on slightly uncertain legs, a lovely new one.
This one had obviously been born a couple of hours earlier – it was standing, was quite dry and had clearly already been feeding – everything the keeper of a cow and calf could wish for. It was now beginning the long process of driving its mother crazy by trotting around the field mischievously.
Nigel, walking past with his dogs asked what sex this new one was. I had just decided it looked like a bull, and that’s what I told him. However, only a couple of minutes later, this new edition produced a stream of urine which proved me wrong. Good on two counts – first her waterways are working fine and second as Poppy’s a pedigree Red Poll, we now have another female that can be registered. She looks a good shape and as she’s from a good line, we have reasonable hope for her becoming a fine cow like her mother and grandmother.