Unto Geranium, a calf is born

Yesterday afternoon, around about 3pm I reckon, Geranium had her calf.

I went out at about 4.30pm to move the sheep into another paddock so that the cows had maximum access to the shade for Geranium's calving. Her estimated delivery date was the 28th so I thought I had a few days.

As I approached the giant Blakley's Red Gum where the sheep were resting, I saw Geranium with her new calf all freshly licked and shiny.

(Warning -  lots of pictures of mother and calf.)












Geranium let me get very close and let me touch the new fella - all the work I had put into getting Gerry to trust me has paid off!

I spent ages with them watching Geranium care for the calf. It was hard to get good photos when they were in the shade and they are both black Dexters.

Being helped up.

Some of his first steps.

They spent the night outside the yards - they usually come in each evening. It was a bit hard to walk a long way for the little fella.

This  morning the cows were hanging around in the long carex grasses that grow in the drainage lines - plenty of shade and hiding places for the calf.

The new babe is getting to know his mini herd. Welcome little one!

Waiting for the cows to come home...

Each evening the cows come into their yard. Some days they take longer than others...

Bovine bonding

Just last week  we added to our bovine herd by welcoming Dora and her calf Hazel to Highfield. They join our Geranium who is now quite advanced in her pregnancy.

It seems that the little herd have bonded together, they spend all their time very closely together.

L-R: Dora , Hazel and Geranium

Geranium grooms Dora

Dora grooms Geranium

Hello Aunty Geranium

Three is company

Today we took delivery of two more Dexter cattle - a cow and her beautiful little calf.

Finally our first Dexter girl Geranium has some company of the bovine type. Three of them looked very comfortable together from the first moment.

L-R: New calf Hazel, new cow Dora and Geranium doing what cows do best

I had felt very guilty that Geranium was the only cow on the property. It was obvious that she didn't feel  like the sheep and the alpacas were really part of her herd, instead,  Geranium pined for the Herefords over the neighbour's fence. We declared that we must get Geranium company and, as we had fallen in love with Geranium and with the Dexter breed,  we knew we had to get another Dexter - a small cow breed from Ireland.

A good neighbour knew that I was in search of another and found an add in the paper for Dexter cows with calves at foot. In less than a week - a  flash  in stock buying time - we inquired, visited and today have welcomed them to Highfield.

The new cow and calf are remarkably calm and Geranium is content. Suddenly Geranium doesn't want to know me - today she doesn't want a pat and she doesn't want to lick my hand. It's ok Gerry, I understand, I am not a cow...

The new cow was named Clarisse by her previous owners, the calf hadn't been named. We've decided to rename the new girl and we will call her Dora, a good name for a cow we feel, her calf is Hazel - Dora and Hazel are two of The Lad's great aunts. Dora needs a bit of feeding up, I am sure that she will enjoy our green grass.

I will give the newbies some time to settle in, then I'd like to try to milk Dora. I think you can see how huge her udder is? And then some cheese making!

Enjoy your new home and it's grass new girls, I am sure Geranium is helping you to feel at home.

A girl called Geranium Dexter

We have a new girl on the patch.

Her name is Geranium and she is a Dexter. Geranium arrived this morning, coming all the way from Callistemon Park, Beelbangagra (near Griffith NSW) where she was born and bred.

Geranium is a very generous birthday gift from my mother for myself and the Lad - we happen to have our birthdays quite close together.

Geranium is a pure bred Dexter cow. Dexters are small dual purpose cattle - suitable as a diary cow and for  beef. They are said to do well on native pasture - they kind of pasture we have.

The model pose - one leg forward

She is a black beauty and in calf and due to deliver in November. Her mate was a very handsome lad called Peppercorn, a lovely woolly-headed Dexter bull also from Callistemon Park.

Geranium will become our house cow, providing us with a little milk - milk we will make into cheese, yoghurt and butter (when we get the hang of it). In the meantime we hope she has a trouble-free pregnancy on our grass.

I hope she isn't too cold here in our mountain weather! I am sure we must be colder in winter than Griffith.

Dexters are a breed from Ireland originally and they come in black, red and dun colours. They are smaller breed  thus easier to handle for beginners like us.  They are classified as a recovering  rather than a rare breed.

She will be tucked into our cattle yards for a while giving her time to get used to us and her surroundings. I will give her a daily brushing and some special feed to help her feel at home before giving her a wider range on our grass.

And I guess you are wondering about her green ears?  Fetching colour against her black coat isn't it?  She's just had her ears tattooed with identifying numbers.  I'd prefer to think she went to the hairdressers before meeting her new owners, just to look pretty.

The Lad is now feeling a touch out-numbered. Our patch now has 7 girls and 1 boy -  Louise (me), Harriet (our English cat), Mavis, Myra, Myrtle and Muriel (our ISA Brown chickens), Geranium the Dexter cow and just one Lad.

Thank you mum and thank you Judy for trusting your lovely lass with us. We will do our best to look after her.