Multiple births in cows can have some disadvantages: they can lead to complications, it can be harder for the dam to go back in calf again and if the calves are of mixed gender, it is highly likely that the female is a freemartin which means she is infertile. This happens because the testosterone from the male calf in the womb renders the female infertile. It’s not always the case and we have had a mixed sex female twin heifer [...]
About 14 years ago, I was teaching Communication Studies at a third level college. I brought a t-shirt into one seminar, asking students to discuss how they would regard a person wearing it as it bore the slogan “High Fertility, No Bull”. I didn’t show them the front which showed the logo of the Artificial Insemination company but as it happened, I don’t think they would have recognised the name anyway as none came from farms. Their interpretations were varied [...]
Telepathy fails sometimes doesn’t it? Even on farms? So what do you need instead? I’ve concluded a dog and a mobile phone are essential requirements. Although we have to bear in mind that a mobile phone doesn’t always work. A dog? Well, that’s up to you to ensure you have a good one – or at least know its weaknesses.
These events happened a couple of months ago, late March and early April, when the cows were out but it was [...]
Not everything in farming is exciting. There’s plenty of jobs that can be repetitive, not necessarily boring but one is able to daydream a bit while doing them. The problem is, I tend to let my mind wander quite a bit sometimes particularly in the evenings if I’m tired.
Part of our farm is separated from the rest [...]
We bought a Hereford bull last week. Not overly exciting news but what was amusing (and of some concern initially) was his reaction to the Friesian cows.
In typical fashion, we were a bit late buying him in that we should have gone to look at bulls two weeks previously so he’d have time to settle [...]
