Post by dunderi on May 26, 2011 0:58:54 GMT -5
ok, so we have all met Betty, who is completely not what I wanted and absolutely perfect for me all at the same time. This is great, the plan was to have two girls anyhows, so i can still find my dream show jersey, that I can milk, and show at the royal, and breed show quality calves from....
I get a teary phonecall one night, from a lady who saw my ad. She tells me she has two heifers, Jersey x Brown Swisse, and a Jersey x Brangus steer, that she desperately needs to sell. she thinks my house sounds like cow paradise, will i consider hers?
She is asking 350 a piece for the girls, and 300 for the steer. thats $1k worth of cow. I tell her I have my money set aside for dreamcow, and not more younguns with no milk yet.
she cries some more... they're moving and can't take the cows, the guy who owns her paddock will send them to the meatworks, and she loves them. the steer she bottle-raised, follows you like a dog...
So i talk to th'bloke about it. make no mistake i have a very loving, understanding, and indulgent husband Shaun says if she will take $300 each for the heifers we will take them, but we don't need a steer , so we don't want to buy him.
The phonecall was made, the bargain struck, and again i'm in a borrowed truck and float (owing my mate a slab of beer for the 2nd time in a month) at night time, driving on my own into the bush to collect livestock!
I show up, and its a good thing i had the 4x4, i needed it to drag the float across the paddock! These people are blockies - cityfolk who were playing farmer for a time and couldn't hack it.
I back the float up to the yards, lo and behold three cows. I have a cheque for $600. only. I'm firm that i don't want to buy him... in desperation that i might know someone who will look after him, they ask me to take him for free.
I says "if he'll fit in the float..." and they change the receipt to say i paid $200 per head fir three cattle, good thing i left the divider out eh? they're only little, so the three troop on up the ramp and we go home.
the girls are supposedly in calf to a charolais bull, those creamy coloured beefers. we'll see. if not, i'll get them Ai'd to the same jersey bull as I did Betty to. I figure I'll halter & bale train them, and maybe sell the smaller one (Dime) on. if Annie (the one with white back feet) comes up nice, I may keep her, otherwise I'll do the same.
The steer (Buddy, no pics) went up the road to my uncle's 10 acre paddock.. they've been bugging me to put my cow in there to try and clear down some of the grass in there so the steer has found a good home, and will be put in the freezer probably next february.
I seem to be collecting cows... but nothing i can milk yet!!! frustration eh? considering i have neighbours offering me their paddocks in trade for fresh milk, and we're paying $4 for two litres of storebought homogenised pasteurised milk. gah.
Pics below!! (next post!)
I get a teary phonecall one night, from a lady who saw my ad. She tells me she has two heifers, Jersey x Brown Swisse, and a Jersey x Brangus steer, that she desperately needs to sell. she thinks my house sounds like cow paradise, will i consider hers?
She is asking 350 a piece for the girls, and 300 for the steer. thats $1k worth of cow. I tell her I have my money set aside for dreamcow, and not more younguns with no milk yet.
she cries some more... they're moving and can't take the cows, the guy who owns her paddock will send them to the meatworks, and she loves them. the steer she bottle-raised, follows you like a dog...
So i talk to th'bloke about it. make no mistake i have a very loving, understanding, and indulgent husband Shaun says if she will take $300 each for the heifers we will take them, but we don't need a steer , so we don't want to buy him.
The phonecall was made, the bargain struck, and again i'm in a borrowed truck and float (owing my mate a slab of beer for the 2nd time in a month) at night time, driving on my own into the bush to collect livestock!
I show up, and its a good thing i had the 4x4, i needed it to drag the float across the paddock! These people are blockies - cityfolk who were playing farmer for a time and couldn't hack it.
I back the float up to the yards, lo and behold three cows. I have a cheque for $600. only. I'm firm that i don't want to buy him... in desperation that i might know someone who will look after him, they ask me to take him for free.
I says "if he'll fit in the float..." and they change the receipt to say i paid $200 per head fir three cattle, good thing i left the divider out eh? they're only little, so the three troop on up the ramp and we go home.
the girls are supposedly in calf to a charolais bull, those creamy coloured beefers. we'll see. if not, i'll get them Ai'd to the same jersey bull as I did Betty to. I figure I'll halter & bale train them, and maybe sell the smaller one (Dime) on. if Annie (the one with white back feet) comes up nice, I may keep her, otherwise I'll do the same.
The steer (Buddy, no pics) went up the road to my uncle's 10 acre paddock.. they've been bugging me to put my cow in there to try and clear down some of the grass in there so the steer has found a good home, and will be put in the freezer probably next february.
I seem to be collecting cows... but nothing i can milk yet!!! frustration eh? considering i have neighbours offering me their paddocks in trade for fresh milk, and we're paying $4 for two litres of storebought homogenised pasteurised milk. gah.
Pics below!! (next post!)