The interloper….

Despite the disappointing results of the recent sale of Rotokawa bulls, we were pleased to see that one young bull did quite well.  However, he was not out of a Rotokawa cow, but one that calls Thistle Hill “home”.

Her name is the not-very-melodious “180” and she’s shown here nursing another of her bull calves at Thistle Hill.  We smile when we hear other breeds claim their cows can wean close to half their weight.  180 can do that with half an udder.

She’s something special, no doubt.  Visitors invariably single her out as one of our best cows.  A western cattleman, Steve Campbell of Idaho, took one look at her awhile back and pronounced her our “Wow Cow”!

If there’s a problem, it’s been that 180 seems to specialize in bulls.  Eleven so far and only one heifer. But since they all turn out like the one in the picture, we have not complained.  This year year though, we flushed her to the famed Rotokawa 688 and besides her usual bull calves (3 of them), she also finally presented us with a heifer with the catchy name “180-3”.   Wooz insists she is “Thistle Hill Desire”…and she is the one who handles the registrations, after all.

For the record, the new bull calves are named “Pioneer, Red Ranger and Dash”.