Rummy, perked up beside me and started growling. He was completely unimpressed by this event. The sight of four cows galloping round a new field is quite something. For large creatures they don't half shift.I had to see to the velociraptors and was a bit wary of interrupting the ladies' inspection of their new home. The coop is tucked away at the top, but actually in the field. Z's gardener, a man of few words and sly wit suggested that "you can run fast, can't you?"
Indeed. As he has previously noted, I am not a country girl.
The velociraptors were markedly subdued when I went in with their breakfast. The rooster, kept an eye out on these new neighbours. I retrieved the eggs and made it out safely again without incident. And if you think that I'm being unnecessarily wary...cows are very big. It doesn't do to startle them.
Oh, cool! Cows! I especially like the first pix.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather had a herd of about 200 Black Angus. The cows were very gentle and would follow one to the barn in hopes of getting a handout of oats. The two bulls were very large and dangerous and had to be kept in separate fields out of sight of one another. I always enjoyed helping him tend to the herd. Ever stick your hand down a cow's throat to inject medicine?
Z did tell me the breed of the brown and white cow...it's French...buggered if I can remember.
DeleteI haven't got too close to them yet, but they certainly don't seem to be at all anxious or unhappy. At the moment, the four of them are just lying around, chilling out.
Umm....no, I haven't had the pleasure and I'm not sure I'm going to pursue that one either.
xxx
I envisage cow poems in the near future!
ReplyDeleteThere very well might be.
DeleteEspecially if I have to be chasing them all round the village.
Muh-ooooooo!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard them moo yet, so probably.
DeleteHow exciting, it looks like you live in a beautiful spot.
ReplyDeleteI'm technically squatting on Z's doorstep, so it's probably more accurate to say that I am enjoying her beautiful spot!
DeleteIt is gorgeous out here. If you'd have told me four years ago that I would love living in the country, I'd have laughed at you. But it's true. I really, really do. It's fabulous here.
Zerlina and I have named them Sally, Spotty Perdita, Monty and Lily. Monty is a Montbelliarde. Sally seems to be crossed with a donkey, she has an extraordinary high-pitched hee-hawing moo.
ReplyDeleteSally's moo is almost like a moose's call. Not at all a mooooooo!
DeleteAnd thank you, as you can tell, I forgot their breed.
xx
Not to put a downer on this, but I read somewhere that cows kill more people than sharks. But, how likely are you to have a field of sharks nearby? I hope that belt holds!
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter note, I'm now looking forward to a future post in which you describe chasing cows around the village like a mad woman! Please make sure to take video evidence of this. Thank you!
I will try to not get killed by the cows. It's really not on my To Do List. Neither is chasing them around the village. Z assures me of the inevitability of this, I'm still holding out.
DeleteWe won't have to chase them round the village if we catch them when they're still in the garden or lane, depending where they get out. They're fine, I'm an old hand at cow-wrangling.
DeleteIn all seriousness, cows are only normally aggressive if they're protecting their calves. Deaths are usually if someone has taken their dog for a walk off the lead in a field of cows with calves, they then call the dog and try to run away and get trampled. If you see cows becoming aggressive, don't put the dog on a lead, get out of the field as quickly as you can and then call the dog. If the dog is trampled, better than if you are and it's probably going to be quick enough to get away anyway.
Otherwise, common sense - bullocks are young and boisterous, so watch out. Cows are big, won't bother you but don't go in the middle of a herd unless you know what you're doing because they might accidentally squash you between them. Never go in a field with a lone bull, if it's in a field of cows it'll probably be ok, but I wouldn't. If you do and it looks at you, move towards the gate but don't run and don't make sudden movements.
If a single cow bears down on you and you don't want to let it past you, stand firm and wave your arms. It'll turn away. Speaking from personal experience here. If you feel it'll keep going, just step aside, she wants to go past you, not attack you.
It's all right to go behind a cow and tap its rump to tell her where to go: horses kick back, cows kick forward. Cows are used to being driven, they expect it.
I realise not many of you need this level of information...
I agree, let's get them before they get too far!
DeleteThe thing is this is common sense information, because you know it. As a city girl who hasn't had much experience with cows outside of Sainsbury's sanitarily wrapped steaks, this is good to know.
Especially, as we will be herding cows as well as chickens...