I am not sure how many animals of the bovine variety one needs to be running in a field before you can call it a herd of cattle. However I am thinking that I have two tiny herds. Both beef varieties and dairy. 
There is the mini herd at the home farm. Txiki (pronounced Chickie) and her mother Alex. (Alex is a Dexter and her calf Txiki is a cross between a Dexter and a low line Herford/Angus cross). 
Lady Astor (Holstein?Dutch Belted) the resident milk cow and her bull calf Bobby. (All bull calves and steers are called Bobby) .
Then across the way at the West Barn is my beautiful Naomi (3/4 Dutch Belted/Holstein) … 
and her herd: Not So Difficult Bobby (Holstein), 
Aunty Anna (Red Angus/Short Horn cross) who always looks slightly mournful,
and my new Hereford steer: Bobby T2.
Carlos the Tiny the little Dexter bull (no picture this morning) waits in the wings hoping to breed all the smaller cows and Aunty Del (no picture either – Ayrshire) keeps him company while we are waiting to see if she is pregnant or not.
A very varied herd indeed. All raised in carefully managed fields – grain free. I will start haymaking this month from my own fields for their winter feed. We will need twice as much this year. But that is OK – it is all in the plan.
Lady Astor and I are still dealing with the aftermath of her engorged udder and the late delivery of her enormous calf. Her udder is in the lop sided stage and I am working with mastitis in one quarter but I am feeling positive. She is much better this morning and is allowed out in the good fields now.
I am late this morning. In the winter from 5 – 6am is my time to write the blog page about yesterday. Now that time is used for getting ready to milk at 6am. I work in somewhat fluid compartments of time and am still re-threading the morning so I can get everything done well.
I hope you have a lovely day.
love celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
38 responses to “Meet the cattle”
Your two herds are very handsome and healthy looking! The mixed breeds hopefully capture all the positive traits of each. Continued success with Lady Astor, as I’m sure it is much more comfortable for her now. Here it is drizzle and a cold east wind, in not so sunny Manitoba.
It looks like a herd to me . Each one of them looks so different.
marvelous herd that you have! No doubt about it! Have a super lovely day. I have cow envy- wish I could hang out with them!
Thank you, dear Celie, for giving us this lovely update on the bovine part of the flerd. How about putting a link to this post in your “the cast” page? so that future readers can identify everybody? Looking at your piccies today makes me think that you’re having the same sort of weather as we are: fog to mist to drizzle as the days wear on. I don’t expect fog this time of year, and I shall be glad when it goes away.
love,
ViV xox
I think there are surely enough to be called a herd of cattle! Once you get past “a couple of cows,” it only makes sense that they would graduate to “cattle.” 🙂 I was so excited to see the word cattle in the title this morning! And beautiful cattle they are!
A happy, healthy and colourful herd.
There are two farm animals I love to hear: Chickens as they bed down for the night – their ‘chatter’ is so soothing. And the moo’s of cows talking to their babies and each other. I am sure I would love the sounds of pigs, sheep and all other farm animals, but cows and chickens are all I have really been around much.
And – some call me crazy – but I love the call of the peacocks too. Even at night when they should be sleeping.
Aunty Anna looks like she had a rough night and needs sleep vs being sad….Maybe she is just a ‘party girl’ 😉
Yes, I think recyclersa has it right when she suggests Auntie Anna is reminiscent of a sports car, long and low slung. Could just be the angle of the shot, but that’s how she appears to me too. I’d say that’s a ‘herd’, no question, and it would seem that the diversity of breeding will bring your herd strength too. I just love the calves to pieces and suppose that’s the maternal instinct in me, but they are so very sweet looking. Your piggies are quickly becoming outnumbered and they are so dear looking too! Hope you have a lovely day too! ~ Mame 🙂
Oh, I love reading your blog. The pictures of your herd make me think of my grandfather’s from when I was a little girl. All the imagery of the green and the cows with those big soulful eyes brings me back to such a happy part of my childhood and makes me think of my grandpa who has since passed. Thank you for sharing all this!
Ugh, such a shame that you are having to deal with mastitis. (Again!) I hope it doesn’t become a serious issue like it was with your last cow. Good luck!
A rainbow herd! I can hear the cows in the paddock across the river calling for their babies, who’ve been removed so the farmer gets all the milk…. I hate to hear them, such a sad sound.
The sort of herd I like, if grouping is necessary; the same, but different and equal ☺
no need to answer this unless it’s something you are interested in…..
but…why do you Xbreed rather than choose one breed, beef and milk and go forward with that particular breed…choosing and keeping those that hold the qualities that you want in your herd? The Variety you are doing interests me and i’d like to know your thinking.
*laugh* Am not going to be as polite as all the others – that look Txiki is giving you is plain ‘disgusted’: ‘Oh, for goodness sake, Miss C, enough already with all that clicking , I have not had the chance to put my makeup on yet’!! For what it’s worth she will now give me ‘that’ look every time I click on the computer !!!