Cattle off for Winter

Hello All,

I am afraid to say that the cattle have left now for the winter and shall not be back until Spring 2013.  If you are interested they have actually got to a different site than originally planned and are now residing on Velmead Common (Behind Foresters Pub and Velmead School).  This means if want to pop in and say hello or continue your lookering on this site then please feel free to.  I will invite you to the velmead Blog if you wish to become a looker there so let me know.

Thanks again for everything.

Elliott

Wednesday 14 November 11:15

Daisy, Jericho and Crumple  H5, Bambi H4.  Looked fine, Jericho licking Crumples face then she went to lick Daisy's rump. 

visited today @2pm

jericho and crumple were standind together[very like a push me pull you]right by the gate in e4,daisy was in the trees and bambi was well back lying in the undergrowth in d4,i did wonder if she was stuck,but she was ok.It looked almost like they were waiting to be picked up,i've never seen them there like that,watching and waiting. all seemed well tho,i shall really miss them over winter. xx

visited thurs 8th at 1pm.

sorry for the late blg. all the girls were in the trees in g15. i think they were heading for the water trough,all seemed fine x

9/11/12 Cow Watch

Fri 9/11/12 @ 7:20am

Cows a C7 eating brambels - backberry plants
All four there.
Saddle back on path and more assertive with walkers.

Bambi more reserved and hid from me a lot more.

all OK.

Seems to me they have moved to more sheleted area in cold snap and are eating what us there.

Good clear out of undergrowth!

Wednesday 7 November 9:40

Bambi, Daisy and Jericho by gate at D4.  Crumple eating corse F4. All looked fine. Later on Crumple had joined the others by the gate.  Daisy sitting chewing the cud and the others just watching the world.

visited today @ 1.30

entered thro the top corner gate in o5, to my delight there were all 4 cows in front of me in m7. all 4 were lying down ,well we all know what that means,and it has. they all seemed very relax,almost doseile in fact,.i didnt hassle them to get up they seemed absolutely fine xx

5/11/12 Where are they?

5/11/12  7:30ish

Went around and did not see them.

Looked in N15 to H11
Walked across from E15-h11-G7 A6-N6
Still no sighting
Walked back over to N15


Went out early on 6/11/12 - all in main feild around H13 /H14

All seemed O.K.

2/11/12 cow watch

2/11/12 early morning


G8 - Saddle back.

Did not see the other.

They seem to me more and more spread out.

They seem to hang around the field less.

visited today @3.30pm

all the girls were happily chomping away in j6.bambi looks like a different cow her fur seems so much darker,i guess her winter coat. nice to see them all happy and seemingly contented all very close i guess they spread out a bit after this time deb. x

Hi everyone, I appreciate it's not my day for lookering but had to say that I saw the girls today at 4: 45 this afternoon. It was very strange as I've never seen them so far apart from one another. Daisy was in L4, Bambi in K5, Jericho in M5 with the snakes, and Crumple in N7. They all looked fine eating away at what they could find.  I just thought, this was the first time I have seen them so far apart!

Mon 29/10/12 Cow Watch

Jogged and walked stan.
Look all over.
Took 2 hours
look at trough
in wood
in feild
in ferns
and more ferns
and more woods

did not seem them today.

Wednesday 31 October 9:30

Bambi deep in the small silver birches, D6, munching on brambles.  Others D5, eating grass and brambles.  All looked well and contented.

visited today @ 2.30pm

the girls were happily walking and munching from i9 and i followed them as they stopped in j7. all seems well,daisy seemed 2 be a little less laboured in her walking and bambi's ear looked completely fine,bambi also seemed less bloeted which must be nice 4 her i'm guessing. all peaseful and happy x

The girls were in K7 at around 2:20 this afternoon, just sitting chewing the cud, Daisy with her back to the others again, looking quite moody but all looked fine.

The girls were in I/J12 at 4pm today, eating the grass and not bothered by me getting close to them at all. They all looked fine to me.

Out and about for an hour around midday but nothing seen

21/10/12 Cow Watch

All OK.

Day after do attack.
Saddle back more wary of dogs.

Bambi stays back and in longer grass/ferns.

19/10/12 cow watch

19/10/12  @ 7:30am

All OK
Cows in main feild
early dawn.
all a bit slow because of cold.

Site Checks

Hi,
Popped out to check on the girls today and found them chewing the cud under the large oak by the northern car park. They seemed very content and not really bothered when some little dogs ran up barking! Bambi had her eye on  them but didnt seem overly concerned. I had a look at her ears and they are looking quite good. I wasnt quite sure which side it was until she let me get close up! Trough is fine and plenty left in the lick.

Vicky

visited today at 3pm

found all 4 cows chomping away happily in h7,they seem to be over that side alot lately. i got real close to bambi,i cld see a small cut on her ear but it looks fine,thank god. all seemed good. i havent heard bambi coughing for ages now ,so great xx

Wednesday 24 October 8:30

I turned up prepared for a long search this morning and they were by the gate at E4.  Looked fine, no sign of damage to Bambi's ear but I did not get too close.  Crumple was deep in the bramble so I did not look her over.

quick note

just read elliotts email now re;dog attack,just to say i did my lookering before reading it and the girls seemed fine with my dogs,whether its because there used to them or because my dogs dont approach them to much i dont know,but they seemed relaxed  .I must say fair play to our girls for standing up for each other,i'm strangely proud of them xxx

visited today 1.45

after rather a long cow hunt i found them all happily munching away on fern and low lying willow leaves ,brambles and grass inb6 and b7. daisy was right over in the brambles by the fence so i couldnt get too cl;ose but all seems well. the water trough is working fine and i tipped the rain out of the salt lick pot. happy to say all seems good in bramshot heath xxx

Think they were playing hide and seek with me this weekend. Didn't find them at all Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. I nearly gave up Sunday afternoon too but gave them one last chance! I found them at 3:30 eventually sitting in C4 on the very edge, they started to get up and I watched/followed them as they got on a trot and stopped about 5 mins later in H6 where they started eating at what they could amongst the small silver birches. They looked fine.

Eventually found them at 8:45 this morning in K13 hiding (Jericho decided to stand up otherwise I would not have seen them)!! Just sitting there they were, the other side of the trench in the bracken, all looking quite happy.

visited @2pm and 5.20pm today 18th oct

my 3 yr old and myself walked all around for an hour and half[3yr olds and old dogs are fairly slow]and we failed 2 find them,the only place we didnt look prperly was b6 and c6. i went to pick up my other kids and returned alone. i stomped around said areas and saw fresh poo so they had been there.i found both highlands in g6 and the other 2 in the bushes in g7. i'm concerned that the reason daisy is so slow and laboured in her movement is because her hooves are extremely long,she drags them when walking. please can lookers look ont 4 bambi[the jersey]'s left eye as she was holding it shut,i'm assuming shes been poked in the eye whilst feeding on pine trees but it was watering so just worth mentioning.

wednesday looker training

Hi,

I trained a new looker yesterday for Bramshot Heath, he will be an occasional looker, so welcome to the team!
We saw all four girls , chewing the cud and grazing in the open at the North end. The highlands looked well as did jericho. Bambi was a bit snotty and coughing as usual, but we also noticed some discharge from her rear which might be a concern in a non-breeding animal her age. We have reported this to the grazier and they will investigate but do let us know if you see further clear or cloudy discharge from the vulva.

We checked the trough, which was fine, and tipped a good puddle of water out of the lick bucket. I also did a quick check of gates and fences and found no apparent issues.

Vicky

visited today @11.30am

all seemed well 3 cows were in j11 and j12 but daisy was a little away in j13, as i was standing by her she attempted 2 catch up with the others but soon gave up and lay down,she seems extremely slow. i continued my walk and walked back past them,daisy was still laying down but the others did seem to be waiting.poor daisy oh how cruel old age is. I'm 42 and i already think that lol x

Found the girls at 8:35 this morning in K12/K13, around the path area eating whatever they can. All looking fine.

Lovely crisp early walk this morning in the mist although the girls were very kind and let me find them easily today. I saw them twice between 7 and 8:15am, altogether (for a change), sitting by the big Oak trees in L9, hadn't moved at all within the hour or so by the looks of it.  They all looked happy and relaxed even with Rosie getting quite close...they are definately used to her now.

8/10/12 cow watch

8/10/12  

cows wandering around main field.
all three ok.

5/10/12 cow watch

5/10/12  6:20 am   cows under cover.
Bit misty and wet.

all ok, but a bit dark for close inspection

Hope you're ok Jo.  I was over there yesterday and saw the girls at around 5:30pm, didn't appear to be bothered by the rain oh and it was raining heavily. Had to walk round to find Daisy though, she was hiding in the small trees in H6. the others were walking together in I5, some distance away from Daisy. All eating the grass and looking happy. Great to see Crumples eye is much better now.

no visit sorry

had really bad news within my family this afternoon,. sorry x sorry i wont be able to visit today.feel a little better that the grazier has obviously been there today to take crumple back,so i guess alls well - NO PROBLEM WHATSOEVER, I HOPE EVERYTHING IS OK, ELLIOTT

Crumple back on Bramshot Heath

Just to let you know that the grazier has informed us that Crumple's eye is now better and she will be joining the other cattle back on Bramshot Heath today. So we are back up to 4 cattle.

Cheers

Wednesday 10 October 8:45

After extensive search located them in B6, happly brousing.  Looked fine

visited today @2.20

just to note as they werent found y'day morning i did see them y'day about 5.30pm ithink they were playing hide and seek cos the closer i got the further into the bushes they went,but all seemed fine.And i'm happy to say that they were grazing really happily today at 2.30 ish in m11 and L11,i watched them all closely and came away happy x

8th October

Very foggy this morning I could not find the Girls..!    I went out on Saturday and found at K14  a pile of very small gas bottles and flat balloons I was worried about the cows eating them so I bagged them up and took them off site.  Just kids I guess

All 3 in K9-K10 at 09:30

All three were grazing on the move this morning looking soaked through but happy.

Bambi's cough is pretty prevalent at the moment but looks worse than it is.  Her tongue is amazingly long and pointy!!!!!

No sighting of the cows this morning but the mist was very thick but my good deed for the day was to call the fire brigade as someone has left a small fire burning at 9am in the woods on the Pyestock edge.  2nd walk this afternoon, I found the girls together in I12 at 3pm, Jericho & Daisy sitting down with Bambi standing up, all chewing the cud and looking fine under the small Oak tree.

Walked through around 1400 but nothing seen

Found the girls eventually at 9am this morning in G4, walking around. Bambi & Jericho appeared to be pulling at the heather bushes & eating it, there wasn't much grass around the area. They looked fine & were not bothered at all by 2 Jack Russell's running around barking at them.

visited at 9am and

all girls seemed fairly happy chewing away in m5 at 8am ish,but went back about 6.50 pm and walked all around till now [8.20pm] and couldnt find them at all.

Was a little concerned reading Sue's blog so when out today I saw the girls at 4:15 this afternoon, all sitting down together in L11. I managed to get up close but couldn't really see anything abnormal. Jericho was just very still, with both Daisy & Bambi chewing the cud. Took a quick video of them and watched them for over 10 mins but all looked fine.  Went back again at 5:00 hoping they had moved position so could get a better look at them and they were actually on their feet heading towards M11/M12, eating the grass as they were going. They seemed ok to me.  Guess we all just need to keep a close eye on them.

Wednesday 3 October 8:30 am

All three in the woods I2, Jericho and Bambi then went to a bit of a brouse on the railway side of the path.

Both Jericho and Bambi seem quite swollen/fat.  Bambi had a bit of a coughing fit and it looked to me that she might be about  to be sick, but she wasn't, and looked alright afterwards.  If she was a human being I would have rushed her to a Dr suspecting whooping cough.

visited @ 2.30pm

bambi and daisy were in i7,bambi looked really bloated,she was eating the low pine leaves? bit strange,daisy was using her horns to dig the earth under the tree then sniffing all around?strange,jericho was slightly away in h7 and was eating grass, as the others moved over to her bambi was walking extremely slow so much so her hooves were dragging along the floor.As she and bambi got to jericho,jericho moved on so i'm guessing shes the leader now, but daisy cld walk no more.Nice to see a new lick tho,Please cld you other lovely lookers and if you dont mind elliott please watch daisy and see what you think,i must come across as a worrier who can't write in proper paragraphs,lol.

1/10/2012 Cow watch

Three cows in feild.

Daisy @ K6  - bit bloated
Saddle back @ H7  - drinking from rainwater pool
Wonky @ F6  - sitting down in viper area.

All well.

Found the girls in i12 at 8am this morning, Daisy & Bambi just sitting down with Jericho standing eating the grass. I didn't get to close to them today but they looked ok, nothing abnormal going on.

Having nearly given up this morning I found the 3 of them in G3/G4 at 8:15, Bambi & Jericho sitting chewing the cud & Daisy just sitting starring into space, all look fine.

28th September

Went out on the bike this morning with my dog and I couldn't see the Cows anywhere I am sure they were there just hiding from me!!  little monkeys..

Crumple Off

As per Jo's email below the grazier called me at Lunch today to say Crumple has been taken off of the site to go back to the farm as a vet will be seeing her on Monday.

Looking at the other cattle there were obviously a number of burs on them as that is what burs are designed to do.  These are really tricky to get off but they are designed to come off eventually so we will only intervene if they cause irritation anywhere.  Having seen that the MoD have mown the rides (which is where the burdocks were growing) this should stop the problem from getting any worse.

Elliott

visited at 1pm

was so worried about crumples eye y'day that i went today, i was worried to see only the other three[looking happy,lying down on the news that it was about to rain],then very relieved to learn from elliott that crumples been taken back too the farm.Good ole elliott sorted  it xx

add to earlier

 crumple had gorse stuck in her fur right near her right eye,i didnt want her good eye corrupted but she wouldnt let me pull it out. Also daisy has soo many burs stuck in her fur her eyes and ears are actually visable.

visited at 3pm

bambi was in i9 she seemed ok at first,i did notice her extremely runny nose tho, the others were in the trees in j9,crumples eye is completely closed and extremely runny,i spent a good 20 minutes watching her[with all that hair its a little hard to see whats going on].her eye is closed and swollen[elliot has told the grazier].bambi then walked over to give jericho a lovely lick then promtley started coughing ,her toungue was sticking out for ages,elliott told me that it would be her broncitis,so i guess its a known condition about her.I left feeling worried about them ,but i'm a big softy x

Wednesday 26 September 9:15

Daisy was sitting in woods and the others grazing on the open land, all M4.  All looked fine. Crumple's eye is still weeping but better than last week and there is a very small red mark on the wound on Bambi's side, but no flys.

I know it's not my day for lookering but after reading the last two posts I thought I should report that I did find the girls today at 4:30pm in L11, all looking fine. I was glad to see Crumples eye open for the first time in a while so hopefully it's on the mend.

visited 8.30pm

unfortunately ,after an extremely busy day by the time i managed to get to the woods tonight it was pretty dark and with all the rain visibility was poor. I searched with my torch 4 an hour with no joy,so a very wet jo gave up. sorry they must have been hiding out of the rain,very well i must say xx

24th September

We went out twice today and couldn't find the girls.. Maybe they were undercover as the rain was coming down,

Eventually found the girls this morning at 8:50.  Jericho & Bambi in G6 just standing & looking around, Daisy & Crumple in H6 eating the grass. All looking ok though as we know, Crumple's face still looks very wet.

A another lovely fresh sunny morning on the Heath.  I found the girls at 7:45 out in the open, daisy sitting on her own in L7 facing away from the others. Crumple was in K7 eating the wet grass (still very wet left side of face, bless her) but looking ok.  The other 2 were in K6 standing/walking with Jericho looking like she was trying to annoy Bambi by nudging her in the rear lol.

21st September

All the girls on G4 at 18:00. Crumple's eye is looking watery still, she seemed well though.

visited 20th 7pm

all the girls werestanding in j9 and k9 ,they seemed quite happy.i must say it was lovely to see bambi and jericho being all close and liking each others sides,like they used to. the othe two were very calm and were watching us like we were preforming. bless them x

Crumples eye

Hello all,

I understand a number of you are concerned about Crumples eye and the fact that it is still weeping.

The grazier went and looked at it last Thursday and could not see any problem so put it down to a scratch or some dirt in the eye.  However the latest looker report is suggesting that the eye may appear to be swollen so I contacted the grazier again today to request they take another look.

They said they would go out tomorrow with some medications for various problems and give any treatment as required.  Hopefully this will help reduce the weeping.

I will also be on site at some point to deliver a new blue block of mineral for them.  The grass is now going to start to stop growing as the days are getting significantly cooler.  This changes the chemistry within the plants so it is important that the cattle have access ti all of the minerals they may need, hence the mineral lick.

I was asked today how much longer the cattle would likely stay on and I gave as precise and answer as possible.  It will likely be end October to the beginning of November.  If we have a wet and warm autumn it will likely stretch out, if we have a cold and dry autumn then this will likely come forward.  that is the best I can offer but I know you will all miss them.

Elliott

Wednesday 19 Sept 8:15

Just emerging from woods I9.  Crumples left eye is weeping and looks swollen and closed. Others fine

Tuesday 18 September 12 noon

All sitting in the pine grove J5. Crumple has wet side to left face

All girls in the sun heads down munching away happily in L8 and K8,Crumples face is still wet as her eye is still a little weepy.

re;tuesday 18th sept

Visited fairly late about 8pm and i first saw them saw them in and around n12 and  m12. They were acting fairly strange,either getting fruity with each other or trying to argue. I was a little apprhensive 2 get to close as they looked ready to march over and tell me off. I continued my walk and on my way back past they'd moved  to j8 and 9,they seemed much calmer,pretty bizarre behavior. maybe since the death of museli there reajusting there pecking order.

17th September

All the cows looking great in J7 this morning.. Gerico picking up the pace and having a good walk about amongst the bracken..

A very different experience this morning with the cow's movements. Having cut across the open Heath at 8:20, I spotted the back of Daisy in L13, heading towards the road/track so I followed her, across the road and into the woods on the Pyestock edge. We carried on walking up the track in the woods and saw Bambi in J14, her cut is definately looking better, then we saw Crumple in F15, eye  still very weepy and face wet. Jericho was on the edge of the road and coming towards us in F14. All fairly spaced out but all coming together as they reached the water where they had a good drink and also tried to lick inside the blue container but as we know, there is nothing in there.  They were all much happier today and allowed us to walk along side them. 

Spotted all 4 in 2 groups at 1315 today.  H4 - I4 and H3 - I3.  Crumple had a really wet left cheek and not sure why that is.  Although this has been reported before this is the first tme I have seen this so I cannot ascertain whether it is getting better or worse.  Rather bizarrely whilst Jericho was laying down enjoying a cud, Daisy was circling her and either enticing Jericho or annoying her.  Both were moving and chewing, but odd behaviour.

All found in M6 at 8:30 this morning eating the wet grass. I managed to see Bambi's cut and it does look ok, no flies around it.  I also took a look at Crumple's eye and it still looks very weepy and her face is still very soaked, doesn't seems to be bothering her. I must say though, I have been getting up close to them lately but all of them appeared to be a little on edge this morning so will see what they are like tomorrow.  I should also mention that I found the blue lick container some way from where it should be, on its side and still empty so someone is messing around. I put it back by the water but I suggest we keep an eye on this.

14 Sept - All Ok

Girls at G4 @ 7:10 am

All OK

Bambi's side better

visited 5.45 ish

By far the longest time its ever  taken me to find them,it took approx 2hour this evening,[ taking into consideration i have 2 old dogs]. Anyway they where munching away in c6,i havent seen them round that side in months,crumples eye is weeping soo badly  her whole letf side of her face is soaked. To be honest they all seemed particularly agitated and impatient about us being there.They know my dog but told them to go away in no uncertain terms,which they did,but i've never really seen  them that bothered. As 4 bambi's cut,all seems ok no exsessive flies and she seemed the calmist.please get them a new lick,how much are they i dont mind getting them one if its not extortionate .

re;tuesday 11th sept

it seems like many of us visited on tuesday,i saw them all on tues about 6pm all the cows were grazing happily  on and around the path in g13-14. i pulled a few burrs off daisy,crumple wasnt so keen on me doing so i gladly obliged when she told me not too. the waters ok but there lick is all but gone.

Hi all
Bambi's cut looks good today no flys and was grazing contently.Crumples eye is weeping and swollen, I have spoken to Elliott and he calling the grazier to come and see crumple and Bambi.
Jericho and Daisy both fine grazing contently.All girls were in N13.

The cows

I am going to contact the office tomorrow as I have not heard from Elliott and I have left a message on his phone regarding Bambi and her cut.. I will keep the lookers updated on my progress.

site checks

Hello,

I popped in to check bambi today and her cut/graze seems to be healing well. I noticed that one of the highlands (crumple) has a weeping left eye. No apparent injury but a very wet cheek so worth keeping tabs on.

Thanks

Vicky

Tuesday 11 September 12:45

All cows sitting close together in the shade of the pine trees, J5.  Bambi had more flys round her left eye but was sitting on her left side where the cut is.  I saw the wound yesterday it was about 3cm long and covered with flys.

10th September

Elliott I left a message on your answer phone tonight regarding Bambi!!!   She has a cut on her side and it has flies on it I think she might of caught herself on a branch and cut her self it doesn't look good.  They were all on L4 .. I will ring again tomorrow to make sure you got the message.  Thanks

re;thurs 6/9

sorry 4 the late blog my computer doesnt seem to like me much at the moment. but thursday all 4 girls were hanging out under the trees in h8 and i8,had a fairly close look and all seems fine x

Another lovely chilly morning with the sun shining...I found the girls altogether, heads down eating the grass in D6 by the big tree at 8:25am, got a good look at them but they were not bothered about us being close up today, all looked fine.

7-9-12 Cows in main Feild

Friday 7-9-12 5:20pm

All present and correct in main feild.

Moving across to railway line.

Daisy bit agressive to stan (dog)

Still getting used to him being there.

A lovely start to the day, up nice and early to be faced with very thick mist on the heath and there's me thinking I am going to have a challenge finding the girls today but to my surprise, there they were, where they've been a few times this week.  All together, laying down in L11 at 7:15am enjoying the sun's rays. All looked fine.

visited last night about 8.30 4/9/12

i have been visiting the cows every tues and thurs as they are my days but i've had real problems connecting to the blog,so much so that i had 2 get elliott to re invite me,so thanks for that mate x.i visited quite late last night and i walked and walked an couldnt find them any where,it got really dark,i was asking my dog over and over "truley find the cows",she kept taking me to a strange area near the gate at05 ,i said "no truley,find em come on".it got to  about 10.30 and as i was about 2 give up and there they were tucked quietly away just round the hedges in n6,so bless my darling dog she was right all the time,and so she was more correct in thinking i'm mad rather than visa versa. Anyway all was good with them they were relaxed and allowed me to approach even in the dark.The other day,last thursday i think the belted gallway was in a real bad mood and chased us off,prehaps she was in morning.R.I.P,museli,i will miss her,but she was definately in alot of discomfort and it was for the best,terribly sad tho as i felt like she was getting quite used to me at last,oh well thats life.x

Daisy grazing on her own in F4,in F5 I found Jericho grazing crumple and Bambi laying
down all girls look well and enjoying the good weather.

Tuesday 4 September 07:55

All fine and present.  Jericho and Daisy sitting in the woods chewing cud G5.  Crumple and Bambi grazing in G6.

3rd September

I went out on my bike this morning with my dog as usual. Today I couldn't find the girls anywere I am sure they are there hiding in the bracken it has been easier since all 4 are back to see them.  Elliott I am hoping the Tueseday person will spot them.  I will be out on my bike at 6am for a ride in the  morning I will have another look..

Found the girls at 2:35 this afternoon out in the open with Daisy laying on her own in L7, the others laying together in K7. All looked fine although I did get up close to Bambi & Jericho & noticed they had loads of flies around their face/head, though they didn't seems too bothered.

At 7:50am this morning, I found the girls laying down just off the path in the woods with Daisy & Crumple together in L4 and Bambi & Jericho together in M4.  All looked quite happy although Crumple did look at us & then put her head down on the ground, looked liked she was playing dead but I did take a closer look at her & she seemed fine.

31st August

All the cows were at N4 this morning nice and early all looking good..

4 near log pile at 15:30

I came out to check the 4 today and found them all grazing the newly exposed ground by the ever decreasing log pile.

they all looked very happy.

I spent a bit of time walking around teh site to see how things are recovering following the clearance works.  I am truly amazed at the heather and gorse regenration following the works, both in the extent of it and the size of it.  there are heather plants 3" tall in some places which is amazing when you think that the seed had to germinate and then grow from scratch in the wild following its disturbance only 6 months ago.  Nature is truly amazing.

Elliott

All four girls grazing contently in J5 looking good and happy.

Tuesday 28 August 07.45

All fine, in J5, grazing in the morning sun. Daisy was having a good chomp on a holly tree!

Mon 27 Aug 2012 - all OK

All the four cows well at I17.

Bambi standing up and chewing cud.

Others sitting down.

Spotted the 4 around 1400 today around J11 / K11.  All seemed well, but heading separate ways.

What a lovely morning with the shining so early.  The girls were nice and easy to find at 8am with Bambi & Daisy laying down in J11 and Jericho & Crumple laying down in k11. I managed to get close to them & they all looked fine & happy just soaking up the sun.

Another Saturday and another challenge to find the girls (getting the feeling they are trying to hide from me lol)! Eventually (with some help I must admit) I did find them in C4 at 7:45am all laying down under the big oak tree. They were all very still except for Jericho who was keeping a look out and giving a hissing sound when Rosie went too close.  Guess they were settling down undercover to protect themselves from the rain!

24th August

Very sorry to hear about Muesli today, sad news but at least she spent some lovely times with the girls at Bramshot.     Today the 2 girls were at F4 together and grazing looking happy.   There was a light brown dog trying to play with them no owner to be seen I cycled around a bit to make sure them were ok and the dog did vanish after a while.  

Arrived this morning to fix a small bunch of chaos that had decended on F4. Namely making the bridle gate close reliably, replacing lower rail sections on the adjoining fence and replacing rails on the kissing gate box 10 m to the south. This is all done. I noticed the two cows nearby watching me work.

After some time I found Bambi and jericho hiding in M3 having a lay down .Bambi has a runny nose but both girls look good.

20th August

The cows were found at G4.   I had to go back in the evening on my bike as I couldn't find them in the morning I think they were hiding from me! probably tucked behind some bracken in the shade. Both looking good Bambi did have a very runny nose bless her the fluid was clear.

Sorry we were away yesterday so no lookering

Spotted Bambi and Jerricho around 1400 around the K11 area.  Both looked happy and well.  The others not seen

Having seen the girls back on Thur & Fri which are not my lookering days, I started Saturday lookering today with not much success I'm afraid.  Spent an hour walking around their normal ground  & didn't see them at all. I even asked other walkers who hadn't seen them so I'm assuming they found some shelter as it was very hot. I was there between 9 - 10am.  Will check again later but if anyone has seen them today please feel free to comment. It doesn't help when the bracken is so high, you can't spot them standing up let alone laying down.

That's very strange...when I saw them yesterday I could have sworn it was Jericho (Belted Galloway) laying down next to Bambi, that was at 4:45pm !!

visited today[16/8]at 5pm

nice 2 see bambi and museli back altho i must admit to visiting them a few times at ancells farm. they looked very happy and relaxed in k12. the water trough is working fine the lick had 2 be turned over and is still slush,although the trough is completely covered by bracken?in fact theres still loads of it everywhere,did the spraying not work?

two cows back

Hello,

Bambi and Muesli have returned to Bramshot after the bracken spraying exclusion period.

Vicky

1530 today spent 20 minutes looking but no spotting.  Published before reading previous blog by Elliott

Cattl etaken off

Hello all,

As planned the cattle have been taken off and moved to Ancells Farm down the road for a couple of weeks whilst the bracken spraying takes place and the chemical has chance to work on killing the plant without the cattle trampling the bracken and preventing it from working 100%.

if you have any quesries about this or want to know where Ancells Farm is then just let me know and I will give you directions

Elliott

tues 24th july 8pm

1st i spotted bambi marching from  j11 towards where we we in i10,she then walked briskley into the trees then stopped still,then very soon after that museli and daisy marched over,i actually thought that they were going 2 chase us away but then came to a stand still.The other 2 were in k11,so i walked over to check on them and when i got there all the cows came running back exept bambi,who stayed in the bushes.Im really not sure what was going on,it was the strangest v've ever seen them. this went on 4 about 10 minutes.

Tuesday 24 July 8am

Highlands sitting, Jericho and Bambi standing as a tight group in trees, L3/4. Looked fine chewing cud.

Muesli was sitting on her own about 30 yds away further into woods L3.  She got up and was very stiff, seemed to be limping on her right hind leg, although she only took a couple of steps.  I went back 10 mins later and she still was not moving freely and the odd step was still laboured.  She also mooed 3 times while I was watching, but it did not sound as if she was in distress.  For the record she had a poo and wee which all looked normal.

23rd July

All the cows looking blissfully happy in I5 in the shade under the trees.  Bambi came over to say hello she had a runny nose all clear though..

20th July

All cows were seen grazing at G4 in the morning all looking good...

sorry that was daisy that seemed to be alone.

sat 21st at 9.30pm

went 4 a late walk,its not my day and it was getting dark but i cld only find bambi who was alone under the trees in h8.i had a pretty good look but couldnt find the others.i was hoping i'd get back and either find out why or that someone had been today and they were all cool. will have another look tomorrow .

visited thurs 19th at 4pm

all seemed calm,the cows looked like they were lining up 4 something. chewing happily.bambi licked my sons hand i,i think they r getting used 2 us.oh yes in j8

All 5 in K8

I visited the site today at about 16:30 to find all of the cattle grazing away in K8.  They were loosely together as a herd and were not bothered by anything (people, dogs, jet fighters).  They truly are a wonderful bunch of old girls and are very good graziers.  they were all looking well and I was pleased by the low numbers of flys.

Elliott

Spotted all the girls spreadout, but centred around I9 area.  All well and good and mooooooing in a 3 - 1 - 1 formation.

All girls in N13 muesli munching the rest of the girls were having a lay down,all very relaxed and happy.

quick note re;sat 14th and sun15th

visited the cows both these days.all was well altho they were hiding on sat either from the planes or the rain,found them eventually tho.all was well.

visited the ladies at 6pm 17th july

all the cows were grazing happily in m12 and m13. this is the 2nd time ive seen huge hornets flying round them,do such insects eat tiny flies off of the cows or r they hovering and landing  for other reasons. anyway they all seemed fairly happy, they are letting me touch them more and more,and licking my hand[maybe because there lick is a slushpuppy. lol.

Monday 16th July

All cows at K11 all close together grazing. Looking happy and it is a dry morning so I am sure they are liking that..

Friday 13th July

all cows looking good and just grazing in L10

Tuesday 17 July 08:30

Crumple and Muesli grazing at the corner of N12/13 and M12/13, the others grazing in L11, but when I had walked round to find a braken free route they had all moved together in L11.  All looked happy busy eating away.

Bambi had a slight discharge from her right eye and right nostril, I could hear her softly rasping when I was close.  Her udder is lobsided and has warty looking growths, is that new or have I not noticed before?

Not raining but still wet.

Fri 13 July

Air show was on,

Girls down by gate, on the path of the water trough, near road.

All eating and looking fine.

Did not seem put off by airshow noise

Late, late post.  Spotted all girls yesterday having a gentle cud.  New to the post and need to work out my bearings.

July 14 - 3pm

Girls all up on their feet at M12 grazing happily - not at all flummoxed by jets from Farnborough Air Show screaming overhead. Bless em! Muesli now has discharge in corner of both eyes.All seem OK apart from that. What is that discharge?

visited today 12/7 at 4pm

all the girls were hiding in the bushes from the rain in f6,most lyind down chewing imaginary bubble gum. the long horned highland was stanging and was kind enough to scratch her side,giving me an excellent view of her udders and im pleased to say they looked loads less red and crusty.so i'm pleased to say alls well with the cows at bramshot heath.

Nice sunny morning found Bambi Jericho and Crumple munching away in N3 , Muesli munching away and Daisy having a a lay down in O3 all girls looked relaxed happy and well.

visited today july10th at 5pm

Four of our 5 girls were laying and chewing in k11,muesli was wondering around them rubbing on various trees feeling obviously annoyed by all the flies. all seemed fine. the water tank was brimming but the plastic cover of the underground tap was off,i put it back to the best of my ability by pushing the dirt back around it,i hope it stays,someone has obviously messed around with it .The lick is pretty low and hasnt been solid 4 ages now.So its more like a warm salt slush puppy than anything.

9 July - cow watch

Monday 7 th July

Bright, clear moring. Some clouds.

Cow in trees opposite water trough. Wandering around.

Happy to seem me. Bamby sniffed stan and licked my hand.
Bamby seemed wheezy - hay alegy?

Other ok - did not get a good look at wonky.
In the middle of ferns by water trough.

6th July - Cow watch

Friday 6 July

5:40 am
Cow under tree by water trough.

Weather cold and wet. Early looking in as I had to go to Milton Keynes.

Bit moody, chased me off. All seemed fine.

Tuesday 10 July 9am

G8
All fine and grazing.  Jericho, Crumple and Daisy together on the open land and Bambi and Muesli nearer the railway in the low birch and heather.  No excessive flies, I particularly checked Daisy's udder, which was largely hidden by hair so difficult to see.  

July 7 - 3pm

Girls all up of their feet grazing at K9 and 10. Muesli looks like slight yellow discharge on right eye...but didn't seem usual grumpy self.

Oh and hi Ruth, nice to put a name to a face at last :-)

@ 9:20 on a very heavy rainy morning, the Girls were all bunched together standing up munching away happily in M12, nice and easy to find today. All looked ok despite the weather.

visited thursday 5th july at 2.30pm

all 5 girls seemed fairly happy some were lying in the shade in j4 , muesli and crumple were a little away in k6.all seemed good,i must say tho its daisy [the long horned highlands]front 2 teets that are extremely crusty and sore,also attracting multiple flies.whilst i was there ,there seemed to be 3 massive wasps or hornets very interested in her crusty teets.Sounds weird i know.Please can this be checked out to put my mind at rest.  oh and i was happy 2 see they dont seem overly bothered by sonic booms!!

Sorry the girls were in J9 and K9.

I found all five girls heads down munching away happily,all looked ok on this drizzly morning.

visited at 4pm tuesday 3rd july.

all the girls were nice and easy to find today in c4 and 5,all were munching away happily and so i got the chance to have a fairly close look at most of them.I took particular notice of daisy the full horned highland.Your going to think i'm obsessed with udders but my attention was drawn to hers because of the sheer number of flies.On close inspection the front left teet was very crusty there was what seemed to be splits and small amount of blood.Could someone please check this as it looked pretty dirty as sore.The other cows udders are totally different.

Tuesday 3 July 08:05

M3, all standing in woods chewing cud and looked fine.

A miserable dark drizzly morning after a very wet day yesterday.  Jericho pawed the ground to clear the detritus then licked the earth, I do not know what she was after.  Daisy scratched her neck on a tree then broke a small silver birch and began to brouse on the leaves.

Sunday @ 8:15 - Daisy obviously wanted some me time own her own on the edge of N6, head down & eating the grass. The others were bunched together in M4/M5, again all with their heads down & munching away. All looking well although Bambi looked like she was getting fed up with the flies, bless her.

Confirmed names for cows

Hello Everyone,

I have just had confirmed the real names of the two highlands so I have written them on the 'Current Situation' section to the right of the blog.

I just wanted to say as well that this is excellent blogging of your cattle reports and lookering.  You can see that there is an excellent record of the cattle being checked everyday with information on wehere they were and anything else to note.

All of his means this blog would be a perfect example as a case study for how this system works.

Keep it up everyone

Elliott

5 ladies hide from the rain 29/06/12

Along the tree lined rim, of the rainway line the 5 ladies hide from the impending rain. Early in the morning.

Subdued mood and chewing the cud.

visited today at 7pm

all 5 girls grazing happily around m8 and m9.bambi was being slightly annoyed by a large dog,so truley my old dog told it off and it left.

Bambi jericho and muesli were munching away, wonky and normal were both having a lay down so I was unable to take a look at her udder.All five girls were looking good and relaxed in M3.Water trough was fine.

Tuesday 26 June 8:45

All five looked fine, standing and grazing in M12/M13

"Normal horns" was by the path and seemed to have more flies around her udder than the others. I am not sure if this is a problem or me, as this is my first "look" (and blog).

Sue VB

Mon 25 June

5 Ladies grazing along the  edge of the railway line. All look fine. Saddle back a bit dominant.
Wonky eating trees lower branches.

Sunday 24th @ 8:15, Wonky & Bambi in K11, walking around & grazing well. The others were in J11 & munching well. Managed to get quite close for first time & they all looked fine to me.

June 23 - 7pm

Girls all grazing in I12. All on their feet. Therefore able to get up quite close and have a got look at all of them. All look healthy. Water trough and lick OK.

22nd June

All the cows were at K11 Bambi laying down all looking good even though it was raining a fair bit.  Muesli was licking wonkey's back I am sure it was an affection thing.

Hello everyone,

In answer to a couple of your questions the black and white cow is called Jericho and is a Belted Galloway.

The Jersey cow is called Bambi.

The black/dark brown cow is a Gloucester and is called Muesli.

The other two cows are both Highlands and I have asked for their names to be told to me but am still waiting.  For the moment lets refer to them by their horns (normal and wonky).

As fro Bambi's udder and vulva, despite having been barren for a long time now her hormones will still prepare her regularly for mating even though their are no bulls on site.  This is proved by the fact cows are often seen tryiong to mount one another, known as bulling.  Her udder will swell and retract during her cycle aswell so if you keep an eye on this you should see it retract after a week or so. if it does not seem to do so then I will ask the farmer to come and have a look.

Elliott

Who's Daisy & Who's Bambi? These names were not mentioned to me when I did my training... I know/thought we only have names for Museli, Dandy & Jerico Appreciate the confirmation of who's who please

visited at 17.00

all the cows were in m10 and m11,some lying some standing .Daisy the jersey was standing and her udders looked exceptionly lop sided,i now i've mentioned it before but it has definately got worse,it even looks much pinker. her vulva also looks pinker and swollen. i am concerned for her,her breathing seemed laboured and heavy. the others however seemed relaxed and happy.

Visited on 17th June

08:05 - All were within L11 / L12' munching away & all looking good. 15:15 - All located close together at the feeding/watering point, all Looking good.

visited at 16.00

all 5 ladies lying down between k7 and k8 looking fairly relaxed and sleepy,prehaps a little fed up with the flies though. the water system filling nicely after removing a little.

site checks at L4

Visited the site today early this morning and found all five girls doing a good job on the Molinia at L4. I gave them all a good check over and they all seemed in really good condition. Lovely shiny coats and nice and plump! Bambi, Muesli and I had a good head rub for old times sake as it’s been a while since I saw them!   Laura

18th June

All 5 cows at G5 all standing around Bambi and Muesli were in the bushes heads poking out they were fine.  The saddleback cow was not happy about us being in the area she also seemed bloated and had clear mucus coming from her nose other than that she looked good.

Sat June 16

2pm. Girls all on their feet, grazing and walking between I8 and I9. All looked well and chilled. Water and lick ok.

15th June

Cycled down the path next to G4 and all the cows were under the trees they all looked good..

All five girls very relaxed happy and grazing in H 14 all seemed ok ,water trough fine.

Monday 11th June: All the cows at M12 looking happy but a bit wet doesn't seem to bother them though.
The cattle grids are looking full of water some are over flowing with the amount of rain..

Saturday June 9

The girls were all lying together under the trees at M4. Muesli was the only one on her feet having a munch on some foliage. All very relaxed and happy. No obvious ailments. Water and lick ok. Am assuming lick is the stuff in the blue bucket? Lou

Fri 8th June 2012
Five ladies at I8, on a windy and rainy day.
All eyes clear and rear end clean.

Rainy and wind day. did not like me getting too close, sheltering in woods.

Wednesday 6 June2012

All five cows grazing contentedly inM12 all looked well and happy water trough in fine.

Monday 4th June: @ 9:10.   All the cows were in G12 Bambi and the saddleback were laying down chewing the cud and the 2 highlands and Muesli were standing all looking good..

1st June visit

Today is Friday 1st June.  Visit time 7:15 am   Odette & Fiaz found the cows grazing in the sunshine. We needed to usher away a Dalmatian dog who was playfully chasing Muesli much to her dislike.. The dog was not with its owner he was calling from the field we took the dog back and Muesli carried on eating.
We checked on the way back at 09:10 and all was good they were happy.

The Dalmatian incident happen at F14

may 31st approx 6.30

all 5 grazing happily in j13 and 14.the belted galloway was having a bit of a go at the half horned highland but it was quickly sorted when the highland retreated.water trough seemed fine.

30th May & 1850hrs

Found cows spread out in grids K15 and L15.  All ok, did notice that the Gloucester cow had what I can best describe as a 1.5"-2" long thin strip of a green/yellow jelly-like substance hanging from her vulva.  Hadn't seen that before, but she was ok.  Trough checked and ok.

Foxlease South cattle checked and all seven ok.

30 May

All five cows grazing in the shade in D15. All looked looked well and relaxed.

Monday 28 May

All five grazing and browsing contentedly around F5/G5 area. The all black one was feasting on oak and bramble leaves. Trough is good and the lick is a bit over half full.

27th May

Cows checked early evening and were in area N5 and all ok.  Used bowl to check valve on trough was working and it was.

Foxlease South cattle checked and all ok.  The older Highland's breathing rate was a bit faster than normal but could have been down to the heat.  Unlike the cattle in Foxlease North, these Highlands haven't shed their winter coats yet.  Saw what I think were three Heath Spotted Orchids in a 10m arc from the Watch Field gate.

All five waking up slowly in the north east corner of the open area. Looking relaxed.

26th May

Very warm again this morning so no surprise to find the cows seeking some shade. They were lazing around in the trees in I3/I4 on the map and were all fine. The trough and lick are ok as well.

24th May

Checked the cows early this morning and they were all up in the NE corner (M4/M5). They were all contentedly grazing in the early morning sunshine. Trough and lick both fine as well.

Foxlease South - 23rd May

Cattle checked and all ok.

Cattle grazing contentedly E4

Hi

The cattle were contentedly grazing in the shade at 12:00 around the entrance near Fleet pond.

Cheers

1850 hrs. - C4

All five grazing on bramble and nettles. All looked well. Both lick and trough are OK.

20th May

Checked cattle in early evening and found all the cows by the water trough, all ok with water trough  working.  Foxlease South cattle checked and ok.

Richard's Looker Report

Found the cattle in K7/K8 this morning and they were all looking well. The Jersey was giving the Belted Galloway a face wash while the others were laying down and cudding. The trough is fine and there's still plenty of lick available.

1210 hrs. - K4

All five were resting or cudding in a copse of trees. All looked well. The trough and lick are both OK.

16th May

The cows were grazing in an area straddling N5 and N6 around 1900hrs.  All ok with trough working and still plenty of lick material in the bucket.  The seven new Irish Moiled cattle at Foxlease South were happily grazing with the two Highlands.

1545 hrs. - E6/F6

All grazing together in the rain. All looked well.

Monday 14th May

Cows in the celared area, sitting or standing cudding, except the highlands who were both 'just sitting'. Tough OK and lick half full (or half empty, depending upon your degree of optimism!).

13th May

Cows checked and found all ok in approximately grids J6/K6.  Trough working ok.  Two Foxlease South cattle checked and all ok.  When I got to the SSSI field found the water trough overflowing.  Somehow the lid of the box, containing the ball valve, had been jammed inside the box preventing the float valve shutting off.  A little bit of local flooding around trough area.

Sunday 13 May

All seen, looking well and birch bashing.

Richard's Looker Report

Found all five cows happily grazing in the NE part of the open section (L5/M5 on the map). There is lots of new grass growing across the open section now and the cows are getting tucked into it nicely. Trough was fine and there is about half bucket of lick remaining.

1445 hrs.

We found all five grazing on the heath. All looked OK, the Highland we reported on on Tuesday seems to be breathing normally today.

9th May

All five spread widely in the large, recently cleared, area in the NE corner of it and all ok.  For an area that is free draining an indication of how much rain there has been recently is that parts of this area are becoming a bit of a bog.  Trough checked and working.

Two Highlands at Foxlease South are now in the Front Field.  The trough is not working but sufficient standing water on the field.

1545 hrs.

All five were in the vicinity of the water trough. The jersey was grazing on bramble on the perimeter fence whilst the other four were lying down. All were being bothered by flies - the fully horned highland seemed the be breathing faster than normal. Apart from that all appeared well. Trough full although green 'scum' floating on surface. Just one bucket has lick in it. There was timber lorry on common loading logs.

Monday 7 May

Trough and lick are both OK but there is very little cake left. The cattle seemed all OK when I eventually found them - sitting down in a wooded hollow near the Fleet Pond end of the enclosure.

Can anyone cover for me next Monday (14th) and the following Monday (21st) please?
Thanks,
Dave

Sunday 6th April

Checked cattle early evening and found them in an area of open ground between the two tracks with the log piles.  All accounted for and ok.  Water trough working and the two lick trays are empty. 

The two Highlands in Foxlease South also checked and ok.

Hi, I'm Helen - strayed from Pondtail!
I walked all round the enclosure, though not poking about in the thickets, and saw not a hair, horn nor hide of them. Obviously, large, slow old ladies can hide as effectively as the youngsters!

Richard's Looker Report

Found all five cattle in the first open section near to the car park today, they were all fine. The trough was nice and full, there is still a small amount of lick in the shallow container. There's plenty left in the large bucket though.

1100 hrs.

All five cows grazing on open heath near eastern boundary. All looked well. Trough is OK. One shallow lick bucket is empty the other will soon be empty. The bucket is about half full.

2nd April

Checked cows early evening, all were in the large area that was cleared of trees, near the piles of logs and soil that are the man made reptile over wintering habitats.  They were ok and the water trough checked and working.  Still just the two cattle in Janaway Field at Foxlease South.

1015 hrs.

All five located on the open heath at the northern end of the enclosure. The Gloucester was grazing on heather, one Highland was lying down and the other three were standing cudding. All looked well if a little bedraggled. Some of the open heath is waterlogged. The trough is OK. I emptied the three buckets of rainwater which still have lick in them.

Monday 30 April

Cattle all happily grazing on ling or grass in the cleared area north of the trough. The trough is OK and excess water tipped out of the lick bucket and cake bowls. The lick is less than 20% used, the cakes are both about half used.

29th April

Checked the five cattle mid afternoon and found them in the scrub area where there is a reptile observation point No. 4.  All ok and mostly grazing on the heather.  The water trough checked and ok.  At Foxlease South the two Highlands were still in Janoway Field.

Richard's Looker Report

Four of the cows were gathered around the mineral licks and trough with the fifth one (the arthritic Highland) making her way slowly down the track to the same area. They all looked fine and well. There is plenty of lick left and the trough is working fine.

25th April

Found all five in much the same place as Sunday, in the wooded area along the fence adjacent to the big field.  They were all ok and browsing on the undergrowth such as brambles.  Saw a good number of recently produced dung and water trough is working.  The Jersey Cow coughed a couple of times but otherwise fine.

Foxlease South cattle checked and all ok.  Quite a lot of standing water in Janoway Field.

22nd April

Just for the record, the cattle were checked and all ok.  They were browsing the holly trees, and the ivy on it, along the fenceline to the big open field.

Monday 23 April

All well once I found the pesky beasts - Heard the term 'no hiding place'? Should be changed to 'no finding place'!

The only issue is that one has commented upon the cow cake by pooing in one of the tubs. Now cleaned out! Trough is OK and I have walked the whole boundarty fence except the bit alongfside the railway - presumably National Rail property.

Anthony looker report

Checked the five cows at Bramshot Common, they were by the water trough, which is working, with the two Highlands having a good go at the mineral licks.

All 5 cattle seen today

Hello
All 5 cattle checked today. 4 of them were in a temporary pen adjacent to the trough, the other (a highland) was sitting happily nearby.
Thanks
Alex