Author Topic: I'm a herdsman at last (Read 3598 times)

daveh · « **on:** June 07, 2014, 03:20:43 pm »

Yesterday I became the proud owner of four Shetland heifers, between 11 and 13 months old.

On collection, although they had never been in a cattle trailer before, just walked on board with only the mildest of encouragement. They seemed inquisitive about the trailer.

They are being kept in a farmer friend's field until our land can be occupied at the end of September. The friend who has kept cows all his life and he is no spring chicken, said that on unloading they would gallop about the field until the settled. He was taken aback when they strolled off the trailer, had a short walk, a bit of a trot and then settled down for a walk round the field.

An hour later I put some nuts into their trough and gave them a call. Amazingly they strolled up, had a good look at us and then started eating. This morning we went through the same routine but the sheep in the field decided to interfere and steal the grub. We walked up to the trough within two feet of the cows to shoo the sheep away and got no adverse reaction from the cows. Laid back just doesn't describe them. Halter training next!

It is in no small part that this forum steered me towards Shetlands so my thanks are due to those Shetland keepers who post here. And having access to the herd book, I now know where you live!

Regards, David

Templelands · « **Reply #1 on:** June 07, 2014, 04:51:02 pm »

Welcome to Shetlands. They are awesome cows! Great choice!

shygirl · « **Reply #2 on:** June 07, 2014, 05:10:56 pm »

fab news. they are so sympathetic to beginners.

what are your plans for getting them in-calf? they can be pregnant from 15mths old.

Rosemary · « **Reply #3 on:** June 07, 2014, 05:23:17 pm »

Congratulations!

More details required! And photos

Where did you get them from? How old? In calf?

Mammyshaz · « **Reply #4 on:** June 07, 2014, 05:53:09 pm »

Congratulations, they sound a fine first timer cow

Anke · « **Reply #5 on:** June 07, 2014, 09:11:48 pm »

If you give them proper cattle feed make sure that the sheep don't have access to it - cattle feed has higher copper and can be toxic to sheep. Doo they need cake at this time of year?

Factotum · « **Reply #6 on:** June 07, 2014, 11:02:22 pm »

Shetlands don't need much other than grass - we keep ours in good condition on grass and hay. They will thrive on fairly poor quality grazing.

Ours get a few carrots as treats/bribes - if we need to dose them with anything or it's TB testing time we will whistle them down to the yard and feed them some carrots when they arrive as a reward. They all love carrots.

Don't overfeed them with cattle nuts - if they get too fat they may have trouble calving.

We've kept Shetlands since 2008 - they're a great breed and a good choice for a novice. Fairly easy to handle - especially if you maintain regular contact - most of ours enjoy having the top of their tails rubbed - that seems to send them into some sort of pleasure overload. A few like having their coats brushed and some like having their ears and neck scratched.

Shetlands can be addictive - we started with 4 heifers in 2008 - as of today, we have 37 beasties wandering around the holding.

Have fun.

Sue

Rosemary · « **Reply #7 on:** June 08, 2014, 09:58:17 am »

Yes, don't overfeed them. I keep some cake as bribes / rewards but they have grass in summer and straw over winter (cows and bullocks) plus a molasses bucket in winter and a mineral lick in summer.

daveh · « **Reply #8 on:** June 09, 2014, 04:40:44 pm »

Can someone please define over feeding. At the moment the girls are getting 1lb per day of nuts each split into two feeds just to act as a bribe. I've also started giving them two carrots each a day. Surely they are not going to get fat on that amount.

Anke said: If you give them proper cattle feed make sure that the sheep don't have access to it - cattle feed has higher copper and can be toxic to sheep. Doo they need cake at this time of year?

The sheep are trying to muscle in to the feed action. As the cattle feed trough has adjustable legs they have now been adjusted so the sheep can't reach. Mind you, the cows are having to stretch a bit. It didn't deter one young sheep that launched itself at the trough and got stuck with forequarters in the trough.

Rosemary asked: More details required! And photos

Where did you get them from? How old? In calf?

They came from the Winterhills herd at Silverstone. Where they are now doesn't have the whine of formula 1 cars being tested. They are between 11 and 13 months old. Two of them are mainly black with a few splashes of white. One is a red and one is a red and white.

Rosemary, do yours have nothing but straw and a molasses bucket in winter? Not even any hay?

Shygirl asked :what are your plans for getting them in-calf? they can be pregnant from 15mths old.

The Genus AI centre that holds Shetland straws is in Towcester which is less than 10 miles from me so that is an option. With only 4 heifers it seems a bit over the top to buy a bull so I may well go down the road of hiring a bull. Reading a past SBCA newsletter I was horrified to learn that someone had calf delivered from an eleven and a half month cow (yes, you did read that right) and another had a calf from a 12 month old cow.

Regards, Dave

Rosemary · « **Reply #9 on:** June 09, 2014, 05:30:35 pm »

Quote from: daveh on June 09, 2014, 04:40:44 pm

Can someone please define over feeding.

They came from the Winterhills herd at Silverstone. Where they are now doesn't have the whine of formula 1 cars being tested. They are between 11 and 13 months old. Two of them are mainly black with a few splashes of white. One is a red and one is a red and white.

Rosemary, do yours have nothing but straw and a molasses bucket in winter? Not even any hay?

Shygirl asked :what are your plans for getting them in-calf? they can be pregnant from 15mths old.

The Genus AI centre that holds Shetland straws is in Towcester which is less than 10 miles from me so that is an option. With only 4 heifers it seems a bit over the top to buy a bull so I may well go down the road of hiring a bull. Reading a past SBCA newsletter I was horrified to learn that someone had calf delivered from an eleven and a half month cow (yes, you did read that right) and another had a calf from a 12 month old cow.

Regards, Dave

If you've got good grass, you'll struggle to keep them slim but they'll lose it over winter and once they are feeding a calf. Apart from our Blizzard who is huge even with a calf at foot.

Yes, straw and a licky bucket. It's nice straw though. Our ponies only get straw in the winter too

We have a bull for our three / four. Bought as a weaned calf, working two seasons then in the freezer at 25 months. We're keeping his daughters, so he has to go. Anyway, you want to keep moving bulls in Shetlands.

I think yearling mums are quite rare - and preventable.