After several weeks of not being able to find the two young cows hidden by tall grasses in a neighbouring field, I finally saw one of them peeking through the dried winter stalks;
She was camouflaged.
The other, close by, her yellow tag contrasting starkly against her black ear, was easy to spot.
I messaged my daughter,
“They think I can’t see them!”
During spring, these fields are a lush blanket of green, difficult to imagine or remember in the starkness of winter.
I call them ‘creche meadows’, each with its own bull and a dozen or more heifers poised on the cusp of becoming fruitful and multiplying.
Once the calves are born the now cows begin their reproductive cycle of producing milk and having babies regularly. Mums gather together to protect and raise their young and thrive in their herd environment.
They form social bonds making them naturally inclined to move and graze together for survival; they become anxious and dangerous when isolated.
Don’t get me wrong, bovines are gentle creatures as long as they have a small group.
When walking I enjoy the delight of gently moving to the fence line to watch the calves and mothers resting or keeping sentinel;
the peaceful pastoral scene is calming.
Now, early January, the field has been drained of its colour. The greyish brown thickets and branches are all that remain of the summer grasses and I caught a bull on the edge of the woods, watching over his herd, face set in a scowl!
Closer to home on our rock road I greet our neighbour’s small herd.
Five or so years ago they started with two weaned calves, raised them for two years before sending them off to their final destination, large, healthy and oblivious to their fate.
Three new calves were bought at auction to continue their modest Rigsby Lane beef production.
A year later, no longer calves, the three heifers lined up for their photo.
On the left is Bev, named after Bev Doolittle because her speckled neck and undercarriage resemble one of this artists’ paintings of aspens. In the middle is Bella with her lovely white banded middle and there’s Houdini named for her incorrigible ability to escape the electric fence and wander where the grass is greener.
As another year passed plans were made to send them off to slaughter, two to start with. I mentioned, over a beef roast one evening, that since they are herd animals what were their plans for introducing new calves into the field to counter the stress of solitary confinement?
Aaah! Apparently a new concept, since sending two as before, would leave a lone beast. The consequence of having a herd of three. Kind of like the riddle about getting a goat, a cabbage and a wolf across the river…
When time came for market Houdini, the most troublesome, was selected, in theory, to be the first of the three to go.
They all hovered near the trailer, hooked to the truck, bound for the slaughter house, where their food was being placed for the next few days to get them used to the artfully positioned metal beasts and dispel any fears they may have.
After a week of conditioning the day came for market and Bev,
the feckless, speckled lady, made the hapless decision to push Houdini out of the way in her quest to be first to the feed trough in the trailer, hooked to the truck bound for the slaughter house, thus sealing her fate.
Houdini had just made a most impressive escape affording the accolade of escape artiste extraordinaire.
The time to start shopping for a weaned calf began.
A week ago, there appeared in the field, a young Amish-raised calf. Weighing in at 250lbs.
Her full name is Madeleine but she is officially called Baby Lina; a total cutie-pie in a separated corral being trained on electric wire.
With Houdini staying close by which doesn’t bode well in my eyes.
Houdini has been known to disable the fence by pushing her metal food trough against it thus causing a short and off she goes!
Once Baby Lina is integrated into the herd she’ll doubtless come under the direct tutorship of sister Houdini who will teach her all she knows about electric fencing.
Today, training completed, Baby Lina was in the pasture staying close to Bella for now…good choice!
On my way back I saw that she had retreated to her smaller corral with Houdini close by.
I think trouble may be a-brewing!
Houdini is next to go…we’ll see how that works out!