By Judy Barnet, Ag Columnist
I’m not sure if it’s the effects of long Covid but I felt really worn out and tired this weekend. Is this going to be the new norm, to blame things on Covid, a bit like when a sheep, goat, cow or horse dies unexpectedly we always blame it on a snake?
My battery was completely drained. Even at work on Saturday I struggled to put one foot after the other with every small job seeming like a mammoth task!
On Sunday I was not feeling much better and, therefore, was less than impressed with Dear Richie when I asked him if he had hooked up the hand basin in the facilities down at the dam, to which he replied, “I don’t have all the parts.” Since he had bought the s-bend for it a few weeks ago, supposedly all that was needed to complete the job, I let forth a torrent of unhappy words.
Richie then found plenty of things to do far away from the house while I struggled through the day but around mid-afternoon I gave up and lay down for a short rest. I have to admit I did feel revived when I got up half an hour later. On Monday morning I was feeling better and Richie was on the phone to CRT first thing ordering the fittings for the washbasin!
The hot dry winds this week have really dried things out. The lawn has curled up its toes and is a carpet of dried bindi burrs! The dam is dropping surprisingly fast and Dora can stand on her rock again. Speaking of the dam, we went down a few evenings ago just before dark and were amazing to see a mischief of water rats swimming around.
I have never seen water rats before so this was a bit of a surprise! I believe these native rodents only come out around sunset. They looked to be quite large and I discovered from some research that grow up to 40cm in body length! Their hind paws are webbed and they have flat furry tails that act like rudders.
I am thrilled to report that we now have two calves on the ground after Delilah delivered a red and white bull calf on Tuesday. He’s a little beauty and a decent size as well. That only leaves Tess and that will most likely happen when I am away.
When the youngest calf is three months old I will start the A.I. programme again. It may even work in with the Hereford Heifers that are just over twelve months old now. It will be a little earlier than I would usually join a heifer but since they will be over the recommended target weight and in great condition I will give this some consideration.
Finally, ten months after I bought it, my souped-up LandCruiser is back on the road. It still needs a fair amount spent on it to bring it up to scratch but at least it is driveable.
Speaking of expensive purchases, a Highland heifer that recently fetched a record price of $65,000 for a Victorian breeder has started people talking about Highland cattle. They are on the Rare Breed Trust’s recovering list, so I thought I would write about them this week.
They are quite popular with hobby farms and, despite their long hairy coats, they seem to go okay here on the Downs. Their long hairy coat is actually a double coat but it gets shorter in summer and in warmer climates. The Highland cow is reputed to be the oldest registered breed of cattle in the world, however, as I always thought the Welsh Black was the oldest I need to do a bit more research.
Their milk is high in butterfat and their meat low in cholesterol. They are a very docile breed and, whereas a group of cows is usually known as a herd, in Scotland a group of Highlands is called a fold. They are a breed known for its longevity and all of these traits make it an incredibly versatile breed. The late Queen even kept a herd.
A Rare Breeds Trust Director and founder of Glenstrae Highlands said the following about them:
“I first looked at them based on something my dad had said a few years before he passed away. We had Brahmans in Queensland but when we moved I decided to find a breed better suited to Victoria. Apart from their good looks I was drawn to their temperament. With two in our family with disabilities, I wanted a breed I could be comfortable sending the boys into the paddock and not worrying about their safety.
Since the first calf came though, I’ve found a lot more attributes to appreciate. They have a great mothering ability, ease of calving, generally my cows are easy doing. And from teddy bear calves to the grown adults, they just look good.”
