Bronte calves! It's a bull. - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 15 May, 2023

by Rosemary at 9:20am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 8^th May

Still dismal weather, but warmer. The grass is growing steadily, if not fast.

It’s almost our anniversary of moving here, so it’s time to review our insurance. It’s making my head hurt.

Tuesday 9^th May

Hallelujah! We have sun.

Here comes the sun.

Gwenna found a bit of Smokey’s hoof from the last time the farrier was here; she’s buried it in about six different places, guarding it and digging it up if anyone looks at where it’s buried. Daft mutt. I think they were ovrwhelmed by the change in the weather.

Dogs in shade.

Wednesday 10th May

My favourite plant. It's a viburnum; it flowers at this time of year and has a glorious scent. I remember it being in flower the day we moved here in 2010.

Beautiful Viburnum.

Thursday 11th May

Still no calf. When the cows had access to the field shelter, there was never any evidence that they used it. Grey plainly does. Soft boy.

Field shelter.

The three musketeers.

Socks, Skip and Legs, at the back.

Friday 12^th May

It’s Smokey’s 26^th birthday; he’s looking well. I think Gracie keeps him on his toes.

Smokey, aged 26 years.

And, trumpet fanfare, Bronte calved. Nothing doing at 6.30am, when Dan checked them but when I went out at 9am, she’d just calved, but the calf was up and walking about and feeding. She was standing like a rock. Left them to get on with it; when I went back an hour later, she’d cleansed and was quite relaxed about us getting near the calf, which is a bull. He’s quite big – I have no idea where she was hiding him.

Bronte and her new calf.

Delighted that’s it’s safely over for another year.  And delighted to turn off the 2am alarm on my phone.

Dan did a bit of a tidy in the sunken garden and had a wee burn. I think he’s hoping to crack on next week.

Saturday 13th May

Lovely day. Linda and I took ourselves off to Ashbrook Nursery this afternoon; we both wanted some plants and I wanted plants for our hanging baskets. It was a successful trip.

Having completed thirteen years here, we opened a bottle of Cairn o’ Mohr Strawberry & Elderflower fizzy and sipped it as the sun went down. Now tomorrow I have to put the baskets and pots together.

And here he is, 24 hours old.

Sunday 14th May

Our thirteenth anniversary here; sometimes it seems like a moment, sometimes like a lifetime. Sunny showers today, and warm when the sun is out.

The Rosedean females.

Since Bronte’s calf is thriving, and the grass is getting a bit low in Sheepfold, we decided to reunite the herd this morning. Grey seemed more interested in his bucket than his family and Baby was too – shoving him off it to eat.  We moved them all up to Near Top, where there’s a good covering of grass; I’d hope to have them in there for a week. Everyone was very excited apart from Blizzard and Grey and Smokey. Gracie was very excited to have new neighbours.

The herd reunited on fresh grass.

Dan harrowed Sheepfold and Near Ditch while I planted up hanging baskets and pots. Haven’t hung them yet – I’ll let the compost settle overnight and hang them tomorrow.

Spot the calf.