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An overnight delivery…
…not sure how Church managed to find this one in the dark, but he did! And he’s special too. His working number is 12 and he’s out of Church’s personal cow…a gift from his grandmother on our last trip to England. The original dam was Ashott Barton Tulip, purchased by Wooz and then taken to Bovine Genetics where Stella Scholes bred and flushed her. The embryos were implanted here at Thistle Hill. And now those calves are having their calves…pure traditional English Devon here on American soil. Sorry for the color quality but the original is so dark nothing really shows. If it were a negative and not digital I’d…
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Multiple blessings…
…7, 8, 9! These three came in a bunch a week ago. But THF 7 was camera shy and we waited until we had pictures of all three. THF 7 and 8 are bull calves…7 out of a cow in our American herd; 8 is traditional English. So is 9…a smallish heifer. All three were sired by our Essington bull…a proud graduate of Brian Drake’s legendary herd. In addition to contributing his best cow to our partnership, Brian was always generous with his wisdom and hospitality. For those who have asked: we do raise our English and American animals together and will use an English bull with the American cows…but…
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Today’s blessing…
…a little heifer THF 11…weighing 70 pounds. She’s a three-quarter English calf and was an elusive little girl…still needs a tag. The ratio is still tipped heavily in favor of bulls though…8 to 3. David
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Just in time…
…for Thanksgiving. The advance guard of a flock of wild turkeys crossing Thistle Hill farm. We’ve seen the return of a number of birds to the farm since we eliminated all “cides” about 20 years ago. In fact there’s been an up-swing of all wildlife including our very own resident bear. Almost all our pastures have adjacent riparian areas including water. But our partners are increasing bold. These turkeys are right in front of the main house. David
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Lest we forget…
…pork is on the way. Five pigs that look like they’ll be ready from now to Christmas. This year we’re raising mostly Berkshires…with some Tamworth thrown in. Most pig growers seem to eventually settle on Berkshires for the flavor…and all-around performance. In the past we’ve favored Tamworth and Gloucester Old Spot, but we thought it was time to try the popular favorite. All three of English heritage breeds and each has their advocates. These Berkshire are the best-mannered we’ve had so far…and finishing faster than others. In this picture they’re being fed a mixture of spent brewers grain and a growers ration heavy on corn. Ours pigs are raised entirely…
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One man’s legacy…
…the inspirational story of a retired businessman in Texas who is leaving quite a legacy. It reminds me of Louis Bromfield…whose tales of Malabar Farm in Ohio got us interested in regenerative farming before it was cool. Thanks to Shannon Kincaid, an artist friend in Dallas who suggested the link. David
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Proud mother…
…and son. The bull calf is now a week old and shows promise. He certainly has the pedigree: his grandmother was the great Tilbrook Cashtiller…who dominated English show rings for many years. And for three years running her bull calves topped the sales! We think the sire was from another well-known line, Champson Defender. But we won’t be sure until we get the DNA. This was the first success at AI-ing for grandson Church. We’re hoping for more than 25 calves over the next month or so. You’re always welcome to drop by and talk Devon. David
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You should know…
…the food you eat. China is the leader in world pork production…that is when disease isn’t decimating their pig farms. Somehow we suspect this innovation isn’t going to make things any better. And you need to remember, Chinese pork is now in our food system…and without country of origin labeling! David https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/18/a-12-storey-pig-farm-has-china-found-a-way-to-stop-future-pandemics-
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The latest arrival…
…a combination of an English bull with the best of our American herd. Dam THF U3 and sire from the wonderful old Essington herd in England. Wooz and I were just getting started in Devon and visiting Lakota Ranch when I saw the grandmother of this little guy being born! I asked for her on the spot and Jeremy Engh promised eventual delivery! She turned into the prettiest American cow I’d ever seen…and Jeremy took grief from his Dad when he later came upon her on a visit to Thistle Hill. We eventually bred grandma to Watson…a descendant of the Rotokawa line. And the progeny have been equally beautiful. Cows…
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A tale of two cows…
…our first heifer calf finally…THF 3…posing with her two mamas. The birth mother is on the left…TDA04…a pure traditional English Devon. The other cow is a young cow whose calf was born stillborn earlier in the day. TDA15 wandered around lost until this baby came along. Whether she thinks it’s hers or just wants to help, we don’t know. Fortunately TDA04 is an old hand and isn’t chasing her away. I expect eventually both cows will wind up nursing her and this 65-pound heifer calf will thrive! A happy ending. David