Decisions…decisions…

It’s been a busy week at Thistle Hill…and so blogging has had to take a back seat.  But to explain:

Inevitably, as you walk through your herd during the year, you make judgments: which one to keep and which one you can part with.  It’s never easy and generally comes down to which one has enough “backups” in the herd of the same bloodline.  It’s particularly difficult for Wooz who would keep all her babies….in the bedroom!  But finally, through negotiation, the decisions are made and waiting buyers are notified and shipment is arranged.

But before any animals are shipped, pedigrees must be put in order, tail hairs pulled for DNA verification, health inspection performed by a vet for interstate travel, and ears tattooed for permanent identification.  One ear receives the animal’s number and the other, the Thistle Hill Farm code, “THF”.

The tattoo-ing doesn’t hurt much, certainly not as much as branding, but it certainly hurts Wooz though she insists on watching.

And once the animals are on the way, we face a new set of decisions: breeding.  Natural service and if so which bull (we have four) or will it be artificial insemination or an embryo transplant?

And then there’s the question of what to say to would-be buyers when they call over the next year looking for Thistle Hill Devon?  We already have one in line who has said she’ll take two of our choice at any price and just wait until they get big enough for delivery.