Archived News

12th January 2012

Christmas and New Year are generally quiet on the farm, with a pause in arable work and a couple of staff on holiday.  This left the feeding and checking of livestock which was routine work in mild weather.

The second group of Belted Galloways gradually calved throughout December and apart from one stillborn heifer, the calving has gone well. A bull calf was born on Christmas day so inevitably he’s called Noel, you might see him as he grows up with his three white feet!

Unfortunately the mis-marking has continued in the calves with only 9 out of 19 being correctly marked with a complete white belt, on an otherwise black body; 6 heifers and 3 bull calves. There should have been 11 heifers for future restocking; the stillborn plus four which are mis-marked, so I won’t be breeding from them or the mis-mark genetics may re-appear down the generations.

We have three completely black calves, four with white feet and one with a black dot on the belt.  It was amusing when the first black calf was born and she is very pretty, however with each of the mis-marked calves it has become quite depressing!

The aim to increase the breeding stock each year has been significantly set back in 2011 by Granite’s infertility and now, due to a genetic throw back possibly from a pedigree bull four generations ago, our herd will look rather unusual for the next thirty months. What a difference a year makes.