Moo

[Hen-Gen]

Some years ago in a fit of madness we (me and my cow partner) bought this cow (and her sister). Will soon be tucking into her first born. Her third, her daughter, is being kept to join our herd which has grown to eight.
It all seems a long time ago and any success was more luck than judgement.
PS To call her protective would be an understatement. When she has a calf it’s more a case of run for your life.

 

[LadyA]

What is she, Hen Gen? She looks small, but incredibly solid. And I've not seen that slightly shaggy coat before, but it would make sense where you live, to have a bit of insulation!

 

[Marigold]

Local farm has a herd of these Galloways. Fantastic animals, very intelligent, as you say good at repelling off-lead uncontrolled dogs!

 

[Hen-Gen]

Thanks guys. I’ve grown to love them. We’re breeding them pure because we, me, him and his wife, love the breed. However just last night the other guy came visiting and to tell me that the neighbours Aberdeen Angus bull had barged through two electric fences and a real fence to have his way. So in due course one or more cross breeds. C’est la vie!
This is why I was thinking about cows and hence this post.

 

[MrsBiscuit]

Beautiful! I hadn't realised how shaggy the coat was as I have only ever seen them through a car window, but there do seem to be a few herds about. Does the belt sometimes go all the way around? She looks incredibly chunkyy with a very straight topline, rather tasty I should think if she wasn't for breeding. Do your cows have names?

 

[Tweetypie]

When will you know if your cows are in calf? I wonder what the "cross" will look like. Yours is very beautiful; unusual.

 

[Hen-Gen]

Yes, the belt should go all the way around. Fortunately as a result of hiring a very good bull her calves have come correct. However we can’t mate his daughters back to him so we’re looking at AI next time.
For some traditional reason cows do get names. She is Mabel and her sister is Kylie.
We toyed with getting the vet in to give the jab that prevents any pregnancy after a mismating but rejected this because the ensuing hormonal effects can upset their normal reproductive pattern.
Pregnancy can be determined by a skilled operative quite early on but we are going to let nature take its course. All will become clear later on .

 

[bigyetiman]

Lovely breed and a lovely cow. Exactly what my neighbour does Hen-Gen, just let nature take it's course. Well done on the breeding front and enjoy the beef. At least you know the beef wont be full of antibiotics, steroids et al

 

[Margaid]

I'm lucky to live near an accredited "Rare breeds" butcher. He often has Belted Galloway beef as well as Dexter, Longhorn and others. All the meat is fantastic and traceable to source (he lists what meats they have and the farmers name and location).

 

[LadyA]

Ah, I've heard of Galloways, but never seen any. It's mostly dairy herds here, although there is some beef, but a lot of the beef is Aberdeen Angus, and you'd see some herefords around too.

 

[bigyetiman]

We are lucky like you Margaid, our meat comes from our neighbour, Dexter beef, Romney X Texel Lamb, and Pork. As OH helps her out a lot we know exactly how they have been brought up. They go down to a local slaughterhouse with on site butcher.
Quite a few of my work colleagues buy meat from her and you get cuts of meat back you don't see in the supermarket and I have to explain to some of them what to do with Blade, neck of lamb, trotters. One drivers wife was confused by pork mince, as she thought you could only get lamb mince, and as for hearts and kidneys, we get those back as no one wants them, good job I love them.

 

[chrismahon]

I had a 'double take' moment last year when we spotted a small herd of Belted Galloways just 20 minutes North of us. The local breed here is Mirandaise- a pretty light grey colour. There is a small herd of 6 cows and a bull in the field at the end of our drive. They slaughter here at 2 ½ years so they have a very nice life wandering around the vast fields until then. Most arable farmers seem to keep small herds of cattle which graze the fields not being cropped that year- nothing like the large scale 'production' I remember in England.