Archived News

27th February 2009

Last year, Harvey the bull was introduced to our new Belted Galloway cows and when the cows were scanned at Christmas eight were confirmed pregnant.  The remaining four were scanned last night and Duchess and Flora were confirmed to be in calf.  Ailsa is not in calf and this may be because she is a little too fat.  She will go onto the downs to get her into shape before being put to the bull once more.

When Mike last scanned Bonnie he couldn’t be sure whether she was in calf or not.  However Bonnie must have been in the early days of pregnancy, because yesterday’s scan shows a dead calf inside her. The vet will give her an injection so that the calf is aborted within 48 hours and Bonnie will be treated to prevent her developing any infections.

Prudence has been ‘bagging up’ nicely and she looks likely to farrow very soon.  So Amanda, with a helping hand from Christopher and a bucket of food, moved Prudence into her own barn.  She has her own large area with a big pile of straw and a corner of the barn has been sectioned off ready for the piglets with a heat lamp already warming the straw.

Christopher and I have been checking on Prudence since everyone has gone home.  She is restless, rooting about in the straw with her snout and making a bed of straw with her feet.

Watch this space!