Archived News

11th November 2013

News Flash!

We have a ‘surprise’ calf born today in the Cressbeds! The 100th Belted Galloway born on the farm.

When Eleanor wasn’t in calf at the time of pregnancy diagnosing last year, we moved her into another group running with the bull.

When she was PD in February she was about 50 days in calf; and so her due date would have been at the end of the summer and about 6 weeks after the other cows in her grazing herd.  When the grass ran out at Churchfield the group were moved to Abinger Hall followed by the Cressbeds to graze, along with Eleanor.  With no calf by the end of September and into October; it seemed she must have slipped her calf.

As I drove off the hill late this afternoon it was gloomy and wet.  Just as the phone came back into range, Amanda called from the Cressbeds where she was checking the Belties; to her utter amazement she found a newborn calf tucked in the side of a hedge and brambles!

I collected the tags, tagger and a head lamp and reached Amanda in the field just before dark.  Although Eleanor was very calm she was still interested to see what we were doing to her calf and whilst Amanda stood guard with a stick; keeping Eleanor gently at bay, I tagged the calf in both ears.

She is a beautiful heifer calf called ‘Dusk’ and by the look of an almost florescent yellow behind; she had clearly had plenty of colostrum!

Photo to follow in daylight!