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They’re not making it easy….
….the main herd moving into the pen for preg checks. With stocking rate just about max, we’re putting more pressure on selection but the cows wouldn’t cooperate. They’re all pregnant. We used two bulls this year to keep the genetic lines separate: U2 and Jackpot. U2 comes out of Rotokawa 974; Jackpot from Rotokawa 688. Both are now for sale to make room for their sons. The only open Devon was a freemartin (for our non-farm readers, that’s a female who was twinned and they’re often sterile) but we’re saving her for meat. We understand a freemartin is outstanding in that category. It was a long day…we also had calves to dehorn and,…
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The Pied Piper of Cornwall….
Juliet Cleave leads her heifers (there were 10 in trail) to the camera. All of our English colleagues seem to have wonderful addresses: Lower Trewigget, St. Teath, Bodmin
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Stop 3….
….Juliet and Chris Cleave continue to make great strides with their beautiful herd. Juliet has joined the British Devon Society’s Council (Board) and is now hard at work planning next year’s world Devon conference in England. As we mentioned in our previous post, Bywood Jasper has several sons “assigned” to Traditional Devon’s English partners. Bywood Cracker is one of those and we got to see him with his young son.
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Stop 2….
….and Margaret Elliott climbs into a hay ring to get a better look at her bulls. Her Cutcombe Farm has produced some great animals, including Cutcombe Jaunty and Cutcombe Millenium…sire of our herd bull Falcon. While we were there we arranged to collect another outstanding male: Bywood Jasper. He was bred by Ken Farmer, who sadly passed away just before we arrived. Jasper is featured on the cover of the British Society’s handbook…and not only he but his three equally impressive sons have been purchased by our partners. Collecting is one thing; however, getting semen out of the United Kingdom is still problematic.
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Batteries recharged….
….and we’re just back from our annual sabbatical in England. We’re overwhelmed with the backlog, of course, but didn’t want to keep you waiting. First stop, Gavin Hunter’s Tilbrook Farm and here’s the latest in a long line of his winners. This guy is just seven months old and Gavin has already set him aside for future use including collection. We’re first in line! Have to sort through about 250 pictures but we’ll drop them in a few at a time over coming days. Meanwhile, back to work at Thistle Hill. Thanks to Duane Ard for keeping things running smoothly while we were gone!
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Off to recharge our batteries….
….for the next two weeks we’ll do nothing but drink in the scenery in beautiful southwest England. And if you believe that…..
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Big Brother moves in….
….when Barack Obama said he was going to “fundamentally transform” American, he meant it. http://www.morningagclips.com/index.php?cID=6633#.Uz1q8YePKcy Of course, EPA is here to “protect our health” from….whatever. http://dailycaller.com/2014/04/02/report-epa-tested-deadly-pollutants-on-humans-to-push-obama-admins-agenda/
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The truth continues to dribble out….
….swearing off meat is bad for you. An Austrian study of vegetarians confirms that it is not a healthy life-style. Just think if everyone ate red meat and swore off grains and sugar! http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2014/04/01/study-vegetarians-less-healthy-lower-quality-of-life-than-meat-eaters/
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An idea whose time has come….
….we’ve been writing for some time about the hazard posed by the wide-spread use of antibiotics in raising animals. So-called “superbugs” have come along making it harder and harder to fight bacterial infections. Now, at least one hospital has decided to fight back. It’s serving beef (and chicken) that was raised without antibiotics. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ucla-antibiotic-free-meat-20140401,0,129974.story#axzz2xgebjUrS
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All in a day’s work….
….there’s probably no course at the police academy for this kind of emergency. A Florida sheriff’s deputy receives a call to rescue a drowning…..Bull! http://www.aol.com/article/2014/03/31/deputy-rescues-drowning-1-000-lb-bull/20860000/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl9%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D459508#!slide=2511948 Thanks to Church Matthews for the link.