About this time of year a cow’s winter coat starts to lift and itch. So while my back was turned Daisy has been rubbing her neck on the big tree in her yard and if you look carefully you will see that in some instances she has rubbed the coat right off and little bare patches are appearing.
So she is getting extra flax seed oil in her feed (along with the unpasteurised real apple cider vinegar, garlic, molasses and eggs that they get every day anyway). And I will make up a mix of lanolin and tea tree oil to rub into the areas that have become dry and might break out if we are not careful. Plus she will get a daily brush until her spring coat is through.
The itchiness is making her bad tempered. This time of year it is hard on both animals and humans. Here, I shall show you our view. TonTon needed a good walk after yesterday’s star appearance so on the way, we went right out into the middle of the field, stood in one spot and took shots to the South, West, North and East.
South
West
North
East
The big open prairies. Stripped to sepia by industrial farming. The saddest sight. What is the opposite of cabin fever? Well, a bit of that is creeping in too. So I took Daisy into the center of the barn and let her play with the others for a wee bit. Until she started smacking heads together, then I divided everyone back up again.
I mucked the pens out and swapped everyone around. Now Daisy is in the new central pen with The Baby Bobby (he is a steer and all steers are called The Bobby), with a door open to Pat’s Paddock out to the North. HairyMacLairy the Ram and Queenie the Hereford calf have gone into Daisy’s pen with access to the yards. Mama and Moaning Mia are still in the home paddock so now Hairy can chat to them through the yard fence.
The new Central pen is also where I work from, most of the day, so Daisy is more under my eye! I believe that to farm organically the farmer needs to be ahead of things and watch and listen and smell for changes. If Daisy’s skin did start to break out we would be in big trouble from flies and infection. So I need to get ahead of it. Hopefully the brushing and a change of environment will get us through to her spring coat.
We are having the most gorgeous sunrise. Red in the morning, shepherds warning! And yes there is snow forecast for this afternoon. But it will be a wee bit warmer which will be nice.
Good morning!
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
84 responses to “Daisy’s coat needs attention”
Isn’t it strange how animal hair just knows when it’s spring? RC Cat suddenly has clumps coming out- and she’s indoors. So odd.
My goodness, Daisy does look out of sorts!
Is that Daisy laughing or yelling in the group playing shot? (or someone else) Amazing prairie views…must be very grounding and humbling to stand there with that vista, like looking at the ocean.
As a New Zealander, I wonder how you can manage without the view of distant hills or mountains. But the animals are a great focus, and I’m impressed with how well you are looking after them. Sorry I missed the postcard flurry as I was at the bach and can’t download pictures with my dinosaur dialup.
I wasn’t aware that cows shed their coats. Been a city girl too long, I’m afraid. It certainly is flat where you are. Thanks for sharing your view.
Oh gosh, you DO live on the prairie! Wow. So happy you take such good care of your farm animals!
Have missed hearing from you on my own blog – hoping you are okay!
Daisy, the high maintenance bovine. But she’s worth it…well…what if you ran out of reasons to mix up all sorts of exotic brews? Actually I feel for her. Imagine being itchy and having to risk rubbing the barn into collapse?!
She is as you know a very big cow and they lean right into that rubbing post a scary thought! c
A little makeover for dear pregnant Daisy – bet she will feel like a super model after her grooming.
🙂 Mandy
I can’t believe the view from your property. The land is so vast and flat. I didn’t know cows developed itchy skin. She is a beautiful looking cow like something out of a Charlotte’s Web novel.
Celi, try some lavender essential oil – tea tree is used to dry out skin problems, and might make it worse – even though it is the best all round essential oil EVER 🙂
Thank you Tandy, wonderful that you can help me out with your knowledge of natural remedies. I shall find some lavender.. c