The bees were out in force yesterday. It was a wee bit warmer so out they came to look for food. But the freeze had knocked all the flowers over.
I am feeding them their sugar water right at the hive now, determined that they will live through this winter.
Sheila followed me about my chores.
She thought she would give Boo a run for his money. Actually Sheila was woofing with delight as she OUT-RAN the Uppity pup.
Boo peeled off when I called or he would have been back on his chain.
Good morning. As you know Queenie Wineti was one of a twin. So I am still thrilled that she did get pregnant. (So the tests say. But I won’t quite believe it until she starts to show real signs of pregnancy.) She was always a long shot. The chances of a Hereford cow having twins is lower than most other cattle breeds. Plus the chance of a twin heifer being fertile is 5%. Another way of looking at that – there was a 95% chance that she would NOT be fertile. When I found tiny Queenie the farmer told me that the other twin was a heifer too (though I never saw the other calf) so he thought there was a good chance that she would breed. And I decided that she would. If the man was telling me the truth, then she is not a Freemartin.
(A freemartin calf is usually born co-twin with a male calf and its imperfection is attributed to the male hormones produced by the male calf as they share the common circulation which inhibit the normal development of genitalia of the female.This occurs mostly in cattle. I asked ASK .)
I decided that Queenie would be the mother of my beef herd, she is short and stocky, wide and gentle. (And has all the necessary bits and pieces as far as we can tell). So let’s hope that my long shot has a shot. Hereford calves are one of the cutest calves – ever!
It is the time of year when the animals and birds pause and hover when they sense a pockets worth of sun.
I hope you all have a lovely day. Eat good food.
Your friend on the farm,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
62 responses to “Bees and Breeding cows”
Good morning! Thanks for another farm lesson! My family didn’t raise livestock so I know very little about it. I wonder if it is the same with deer? Daisy had both a buck and a doe, and the doe survived (Rowdy was taken by that darned bobcat!). I do know that it is believed that the female of both sex twins will be a more dominant doe. I read it has something to do with the shared testosterone. I love your photos… and your models are SO photogenic!
It is a strange anomaly that I have only read as affecting cows.. though i must do some more research as now you have me thinking too. c
Good luck Queenie. Bad boo! Is Sheila pregnant? I hope you have better luck with the bees this winter – with all your care, you deserve it.
Gale here was not too violent last night – a neighbour’s fence blew down, and there are many fewer leaves on the trees. I walked to the Post Office in sunshine this morning with my sticks, and if I could have, I would have run home (about 50 yards), when water suddenly fell out of the sky in solid sheets. As it was, a drowned rat opened the front door and dripped everywhere!
I am hoping to get sheila pregnant on january, so that we have the next round of piglets in late april, this is my plan anyway!! c
poor you getting rained on with such a little walk, maybe it was strangely therapeutic!
Fingers and toes crossed for a healthy productive pregnancy!!!!! How exciting! Babies are so wonderful! Boo and Sheila were having a blast!!! Boo listens to the boss lady! 😉 What a great sunny day!
Are bees difficult to keep over the winter Celi? We have bee keepers here , but I think they move their bees to warmer places during the winter. Maybe to the Banana Belt in SD…I am not sure…
Bee keeping is fascinating. Love their work ethic! When I work in my gardens they never bother me. We just go about our work together and there is peace throughout the land! I plant all the flowers that they love! Partners! 🙂
When do your guests start…just out of curiosity? Not sure when you start your vacation! Marmalade and the gang are going to miss you terribly! So will all of us! (((hugs)))
Sun is out today! But it is very chilly. Got the fleece tights and turtlenecks out this morning! Beans all in the bins! Yay! Thinking of ordering some flannel lined jeans! They look so toasty! 😀
Ttyl!
I have flannel lined jeans, they are great!
Sun is back and although still chilly in the mornings the afternoons are warm enough that I am still seeing lots of bees around. Trouble is if I leave my back door open they come into the my sunny kitchen, looking for somewhere to over winter? Much as I love them, the kittens go crazy trying to catch them and haven’t yet learned that they sting!
Had a wonderful Sunday dinner yesterday – Roasted Pork chop (local farmer), potatoes (dug from the ground that morning) green beans (froze back in the summer) and baked apple (local Orchard) and custard (made from ‘real’ milk) for afters! The kind of meal that brings forth a big sigh of contentment at the end!
Our bees are very busy here. There’s still flowers, a heather variety, and the trusty basil bush (rescued from the neighbor’s trash). Bees are so cheery.
That’s a lovely pig race picture – such joy and personality.
Yea for Queenie – always thought she was so lovely
Slow-cooked Scottish oxtail with home-grown potatoes and red cabbage this evening. Really good food in my book! (I love pigs’ ears when they run!)
Christine
Oh I love Oxtai! Have got some from the farmer for free as no one in the US likes it!
Lucky you getting some free meat! Why do people turn their noses up at the cheaper cuts of meat these days? They are some of the tastiest bits!
Christine
Tails and ears….no no no….not me! Nor tripe or haggus! Yikes! 😉 One of the church ladies here bought all my chickens’ feet!!! Deep fried them I believe! Yikes! I know where those feet have been!!!!! LOL
Chicken feet make the best Chicken Stock!
Also very good natural MSM for arthritic dogs and cats. 🙂 Laura
Had no idea! Thanks! 😀 Kevin says that I don’t want to know what is in a chicken burger or hot dog! Nope! This is why I am making my own hotdogs!!! Yep! LOL
And grind my own chicken meat!!!
Haggis! sorry….
Always something to learn here on the farmy Celi – love that! Freemartin is a new one to me.
Now you know I just HAVE to ask… how’s our little Marmalade doing?
Enjoy the wee pockets worth of sun.
🙂 Mandy xo
I didn’t know Queenie was a twin. Didn’t know you found her. I wasn’t here for the beginning so I will go back to your first posts. Don’t know how TonTon came to the farm either. Or Hairy. I do know the sad story of that horrible man who had Mama.
Love Queenie’s curly hair.
I think Queenie came just before the blog began, in fact probably the spring before I started.. (I need to go back and check as well!) A farmer beef cow had had twins and as often happens one was rejected, and he agreed to sell her to me. So when we got her she was very small. Hairy I bought from a local sheep farmer and Ton I bought from a breeder after a long search for a short haired border collie. Queenie does have the most beautiful winter coat.. c
Well done Sheila – you wouldn’t think to look at her, that she could outrun a young dog 😉
Celi! My baby girl is due Nov. 13th!!!
Fingers crossed for Queenie. And I need your chandelier!
What a wonderful piece of information about cow knowledge. Freemartin. I will remember that as we will be in the market for a heifer next year. Also, gotta tell you that I just love Sheila. Her attitude is priceless. Boo can practice being a heeler with her….she will flatten him if he gets too rough nipping at her heels, lol.
WHAT? No cuteness again today? How can I go on with my week?
Do bees hibernate in winter? Must you feed them sugar water all winter?
No I only feed them during the time between the flowers going and the freeze, which is very close. The bees huddle together in a ball with the queen in the middle and they keep each other warm.. this is why fluctuations in the weather are so bad. they come out of the ball to feed and fly outside for the toilet and get caught when it plummets again so i am hoping for a gradual freeze then a gradual thaw.. it is hard for bees out here… c
Thank you for letting me and everyone how your critters came to be. Each experience acquiring them would be interesting. Like how you chose TonTon. And how old and big Hairy was. And pictures of Queenie when she was small. And I would love to pet her head, let my fingers get lost in those curls!