-
Blizzard in Maryland….
…not that kind. This kind. Our young bull, THF Blizzard W180, was delivered to Claggett Farm near Upper Marlboro, Maryland yesterday. His new owner, Michael Heller, is getting one of the nicest bulls we’ve raised here at Thistle Hill. Blizzard was off the trailer and calling his new herd before we could get our camera ready. Michael is the manager of the farm, which is owned by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. A nice coincidence since Thistle Hill a few years back won an award for its protection of streams which are a part of the Chesapeake basin. The farm serves as an educational laboratory not only for area farmers but…
-
Cashtiller does it again….
…was the heading on the email we received recently from an English friend, Gavin Hunter. Once again his magnificent cow Cashtiller has sired a bull that won top price at the national Devon show. That’s three straight bull calves and Gavin, throwing caution to the wind, had actually named this bull Hat Trick. Sports fans know that three-in-a-row is called a “hat trick. We actually saw Hat Trick two years ago as a youngster, still at Cashtiller’s side, when we visited Tilbrook Grange on a Devon tour. But we only had eye’s for the famous Cashtiller and quickly arranged with Gavin to flush her and import embryos to the States. Those calves…
-
What we do at Thistle Hill…..
….is help people create quality Devon herds. And this two-month old heifer, at Tomina Farms in Kentucky, is an example. She’s by a bull we sold Regina and Tom Tesnow just over a year ago and we get frequent updates. They’re not only happy with the results but with the bull’s temperament and role in their pasture; so happy that they’re thinking of collecting semen from him. Best, of course, is to create your own bull on your own pasture but that takes a little skill and a lot of patience and luck. The greatest impact ever on our herd took place about four years ago when we spotted and bought…
-
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…
-
Thanksgiving feast at Thistle Hill…