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The test that counts….
….the latest from our new herd bull “Jackpot“. This little bull calf born in icy rain is out of another line here that has produced some top bulls, 31. Along with “Magic“, “Jackpot“, a son of Rotokawa 243, is the most impressive-looking bull we’ve produced here. But it is the progeny that counts and from the calves we’ve seen so far, “Jackpot” is going to deliver everything he promises. Mom left this little guy under a wagon in an adjoining field where we found him after birth. We tagged him and he trotted up the hill without a concern and turned into the next pasture to be reunited with his dam. From…
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The Thistle Hill Alumni Club….
“Shenandoah“….a yearling heifer who is the result of a pairing here at Thistle Hill. The dam is Q1 and the sire, U2 “Double Trouble”. Q1 was an older cow we sent into retirement in the South—Tomina Farms in Tennessee—but, as you can see, she’s still working for Regina and Tom Tesnow. Actually, at 8 years of age, we find a Devon cow is really right in the prime of her life. There are quite a few Thistle Hill cows at Tomina Farms and, I think I mentioned before, that Regina tends to give them “Virginia names”, thus “Shenandoah“. “Brandy Station“, another yearling heifer and another result of Thistle Hill genetics…
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In case you’re wondering….
….how the kids from St. Issey C of E Primary School did at the Wadebridge Primestock Show at the Royal Cornwall grounds…. THEY WON! We knew they would. Thanks to Cornwall Bureau Chief Juliet Cleave for the picture.
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Pokey gets the idea…sorta…
….ok…it’s still only sheep…and if you make a mistake and praise her, she’ll break-off and come over for a pat….but these are even “new” sheep! Pokey went to an adjacent field to find the flock…rounded-them up…moved them through the gate in the background…. and brought them to trainer Monroe Williams of Strasburg. Monroe has now decided to move his classroom to Thistle Hill to start working Pokey with the real thing: cattle. Of course, Pokey idolizes Monroe. She’s less impressed with us. Photo: Duane Ard
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Try it….you’ll like it….
….coconut oil. A few years back we began using it instead of olive oil. Unlike olive oil, coconut oil doesn’t break down at high temperatures. Turns out it’s like WD-40; it does just about everything. Sweetener in your coffee…shampoo…toothpaste. Here’s an article from Dr. Joe Mercola about its many benefits. We order large jugs of it at Amazon to hold down the cost. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/18/coconut-oil-uses.aspx
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Here we go again….
….we enjoy trying things at Thistle Hill. And here’s today’s “thing”: a shipment of apple cider vinegar. It’s been around for a long time as an all-around tonic for livestock (and humans). But most recently it was a column by Dr. Will Winter that made us decide to try it. ACV is said to be good for everything from hair coat to feed conversion. Whether we’ll save money on hay is hard to say. ACV isn’t cheap and the shipping about doubled the price. We’ll keep you posted on the experiment.
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Tilbrook Cashtiller, R.I.P…..
The great English champion Tilbrook Cashtiller has been put down. She was the prettiest cow I have ever seen. Cashtiller campaigned in British shows for several years and was never beaten. A great moment came at a Royal Cornwall show where she was named not only champion cow but Grand Champion. Her ribbons, silver trophies and plates could fill a room at owner Gavin Hunter’s home….and do. When the partners of Traditional Devon America saw Cashtiller first in 2010, they nervously broached the subject of flushing her for embryos….but Gavin quickly and generously agreed. “Cash” more than cooperated, providing us with 25 embryos. Right now we have 7 of her…
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On the job training….
….”Pokey” went for her herding class yesterday and did quite well. Monroe is a great trainer but somehow I think the lessons that stick come from Mom. Cornwall’s Juliet Cleave saw this at the “World of Woof”.
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GMO labels….the risk factor…
Big Ag and Big food have been waging an expensive, and mostly successful, campaign to block demands they label their genetically-modified products. They rightly fear a GMO label will chase away some customers. But here’s an expert in the field of risk-analysis who says the Monsantos of the world are not thinking this through. And something tells me, unfortunately, that he’s right. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/how-risky-is-it-really/201311/open-letter-big-ag-ceos
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A happy ending….
….and all is forgiven and forgotten. Moms are that way. The little bull calf slept late but obviously had eaten and had been mostly cleaned off during the night. He’s by THF Jackpot….and his young mother took to her new role immediately. There is always a danger that a difficult birth can be so traumatizing that the mother won’t have anything to do with the newborn. That’s why we kept them together in a small pen overnight but it was fairly certainly from the beginning that she was going to be fine with him. They’re now out in the heifer pasture together, where he has a playmate.