I was a little late in completing lunch, even although I started at 9am ! Cut the veggies and popped it all into the oven before I went down to milk. Herbie came home from work and fed the dogs, cats, poultry and gave grain to the sheep, so I just had to give the sheep their hay, and feed Dolly and Taxes while JuneBug, IRS and Saffron nursed after milking. Once the milk was poured and put in the fridge, I went to open the hayfield to the cows. Double checked that the fencer light was flashing, check - the deer hadn't broken any fences out back, then walked to the barbed-wire pasture where the Jerseys and Seasaidh and their calves were eating, and called them to follow me. Dolly was right behind me, with all the rest trailing us, even Saffron. There was some slow-down going through the back pasture which had been closed for a few weeks, but when they realised I was going into the hayfield, there was a rush. Only JuneBug and Saffron missed the gate, and started down the back pasture. The Scottish Highlands weren't that keen to cross into the higher grass ! Gabriel went first, with Little Red close behind but when I looked again, Gabriel was back in the main pasture with the 2 heifer calves while Immanuelle and Oliver (our Jersey bull) were munching in the hayfield. I crossed into the back pasture to shoo the 2 calves into the hayfield, and turned to see Little Red running down to join the other cows ! Damn, she'd run through my temporary fence ! I'd spent the last 3 days checking the perimeter fence, fixing it where the deer had pulled it down, removing the grass and weeds growing over the bottom wire, and setting up a center dividing fence so that the Jerseys and Scottish Highlands would still be separate but all being able to graze the hayfield.
I walked the line to see where it was broken, had to walk it 3 times as the far end gate handle was pulled loose, so had to return to the other end to disattach that handle so that I could handle the electric wire, then walked back to reattach the far end, which didn't reach so had to return to move the handle to give me more length, and then walk back again ! So got all my walking in today. Tried to chase Gabriel and his 2 daughters, Coco and Taylor, into the hayfield, but nope, they weren't crossing into the deeper grass. I was hot and sweaty, but returned to the house to peel the potatoes, clear the dining room table, set the table. The Philips arrived before I was finished, although the chicken was smelling good having been in the oven for 1½ hours already. Jackie helped make the salad, I put peas on to cook and made the gravy after putting the potatoes through the ricer and finishing the mashed potatoes, and then we cleared and set the table. Called "soup" and the guys came in from the lounge. Lunch was good, think we all ate too much, and after a little sit and chat in the lounge, decided to go look at the cows as a bit of a walk after lunch. Well, Gabriel was still in the main pasture, bellowing for the other cows, although his girls weren't there with him anymore. But all the cows were together on the far side of the Jerseys' side ! I took them out there during the day so that they could see where the fence was, and Immanuelle, Oliver and the 2 calves had run through to join Little Red and the other cows. Herbie stayed by the trailer waiting for Gary while Jackie walked out with me to fix the fence. They'd actually snapped 2 fence posts at ground level ! So a few more times walking the fence for me, to check if / where they'd broken it. Only snapped the electric line in one place, so tied it back together, found the broken stakes in the ground. All the cows, calves and the Jersey bull together, with the Scottish Highland bull on his own. Oh well, when I bring the calves into the chicken yard for the evening, I'll re-sort them into the correct pastures.
As Gary and Jackie were leaving, I called for Maddie and she came to see us. Gary enjoyed scratching her and Jackie tried to take a photo of Maddie licking my neck, but bu the time she had her phone ready, Maddie was finished licking me and didn't want to anymore. Gary was amazed that Maddie let him scratch her, Herbie laughed and said anyone could touch her, but only I could feed her :). True dat :).
Later, when I went out to the pasture to fetch the cows, Dolly followed and they all came behind her. Love that about them. Wonder which cow will take the head-cow position when Dolly goes to butcher in December. I had the feed bucket with the bell, but it took a good half hour to get Dolly, Taxes, IRS and JuneBug into the chicken yard, Seasaidh and Saffron, Little Red and Taylor and Immanuelle and Coco into the main pasture with Gabriel, while keeping Daisy May and Eleanor with Oliver in their own pasture. Think Daisy May is on heat as Gabriel is not happy and Oliver is trying to jump her. I put Eleanor in with him early August, so now in November it's 3 months later so time for Daisy May to be knocked up.
10pm - can hear much bellowing outside, so just went to check. Saffron ran through the one gate to get away from me, and broke it. So she hopped under the fence and was with Daisy May and Oliver instead of being with her mum and the other Scottish Highlands. They and Eleanor were nowhere to be seen, so I presume they're out in the hayfield, hopefully in the two separate sides, but I'll see tomorrow. Eleanor should be about 3 months pregnant, so I'm not worried about her being with Gabriel, but she still needs to come up for milking, and it'll be easier if she's not with the SHs'.
That was my day today - wow. No wonder I'm exhausted. Goodnight.