I did it, I did it, I did it .........

Out and About on the Farmette

Our latest addition.......

Welcome Baby Honey

A week ago on the 25th of March (the night the clocks changed!) we had a very late call from our nearest neighbour to say that he had looked in on our cows and Amelie had produced her calf! 

The birth had gone well without any complications and the calf was big and strong.  In France (and maybe elsewhere) the name of a calf is determined by the year in which they are born.  A calf born in 2012 should have a name that begins with H.  After much deliberation (making a decision that pleases all 4 children is never easy!) we decided to call our new calf Honey in remembrance of our lovely Jersey we lost earlier this year.

Honey has been feeding well and all seemed fine until we realised she had a lump where her umbilical chord had been.  R called in to see the vet and he said he would come and take a look.  It transpired that it was a problem with the vein from her liver that should have closed naturally at birth, but had not  - she needed an operation!!  We started a course of antibiotics straight away and we had to take her to the vets yesterday to be operated on ~ the poor baby!!

Fortunately everything went well and R was able to collect her and bring her home last night, a little drowsy but still hungry!  This morning when we went to feed the cows Honey was up on her feet and looking strong.  We will keep our fingers crossed that she stays that way.  We are also hoping that now R has had to spend so much money on her vets bill he will let us keep her.....

Our other cows....

We now have 3 cows as well as our calf Honey, they live in our neighbour's barn next door and here they are:

Ermintrude (Trudy),  Amelie and Doucette

Trudy is a Jersey she is about 8 years old.

Ameilie is a Normande she is 4 years old

Doucette is a Normande she is 4 years old

They have all been inside for the winter and we visit morning and night to feed them - mostly hay, but they love cabbage leaves too.  We have to give them clean bedding hay twice a day too - a lovely job(!) - and muck them out once a week - a back breaking job(!) - I now have muscles in places I didn't know I could have muscles!!  Very soon (when baby Honey is well enough) they will be allowed out again.  We haven't had much rain yet this year so the grass hasn't grown as much as we had hoped, but it is nice and green and they need to be out in the fresh air, it's been a long winter.  When they are out we won't have to feed them everyday, but we will bring them in at night and take them back to the field every morning.  No rest for the wicked (I must have been very naughty in a previous life!!) :o)