Looking after the animals

All animals need looking after and our days at Tredarrup start with walking the Molly dog, letting the chickens out, filling the bird feeders and checking the cattle - that they're all OK and at the moment whilst the field is separated for our winter feed to grow that they have not managed to get across to where the grass is greener, and longer!
Friday was a big cattle day (in the driving rain!). All cattle when kept over 30 months (max months for meat stock with some exceptions) the horn on their feet grows so they need their nails cut and filed - a pedicure with a difference. Our cows are put into a crush that holds them still put on their side and the pedicure begins - but not with the same amount of pleasure us humans experience I don't think! Then our young bull calves - one had the pinch so he's now a steer (all men wince!) the other - bully boy- we are keeping as a young bull so he had to be de-horned and have his nose pierced for a nice bull nose ring.
After it all the cattle were very pleased to go back into the field and we peeled off the layers of wet and muddy clothes and boots and enjoyed a cuppa.