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Post by tartancowgirl on Dec 10, 2015 15:37:39 GMT -6
In October we sold two 18 month old Traditional Hereford heifers to a lady who lives on a croft in the Outer Hebrides, windswept islands off the coast of Scotland. It was a 5 hour journey by ferry from the mainland and we were worried because there was a storm coming in. However we need'nt have worried - they have settled really well, showing the adaptability of the Hereford. One of the heifers which was an AI calf sired by a 1970s bull is particularly confident and apparently she is now the leader of all the township's cows! In winter all the cows graze together on the machair, the sand and shell dunes and grassland next to the sea. In the summer some of this land is cultivated and the rest is covered in wild flowers - an amazing sight. There have been no Herefords there for many years as they lost popularity in the eighties to the continental breeds, but apparently our heifers now have quite a fan club and people wanting to stroke them! She is also going to take one of our young bulls when the weather improves. Thought you might like to see pictures - hope they will load. Attachments:
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Post by jayh on Dec 10, 2015 16:08:39 GMT -6
Those white parks grazing with them?
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Post by tartancowgirl on Dec 10, 2015 16:24:30 GMT -6
No White Galloways - same markings.
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Post by tartancowgirl on Dec 10, 2015 16:27:44 GMT -6
Have more pictures but can't get them to load - keeps wanting to load the same picture again. Any suggestions?
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Post by nicky on Dec 10, 2015 19:36:26 GMT -6
How cool is that?!!!
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Post by larso on Dec 11, 2015 14:44:12 GMT -6
Great story, keep trying with the pictures. I have the same problem trying to down load pictures, operator fault most likely.
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Post by Glenn on Dec 11, 2015 15:30:29 GMT -6
The best way to post pics is to upload to photobucket, then just copy and paste into your post. They even have a button on photobucket to press.
The problem with uploading is they are smaller and we have limited space whcih we reached long ago. Periodically I go back and delete old pics that people have uploaded a few years ago to free up space.
You can also copy and paste easily from Facebook.
~Glenn
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Post by tartancowgirl on Dec 13, 2015 17:21:49 GMT -6
I'll try again - must look into Photobucket! Attachments:
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Post by Glenn on Dec 13, 2015 17:25:41 GMT -6
must look into Photobucket! It's free!!!! Also when you upload a pic like you just did, if the viewers will click on the picture it will open the bigger pic up, then hit back arrow to return to the board..... |
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Post by picketwire on Dec 13, 2015 18:44:02 GMT -6
Thats cool, keep us updated.
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Post by tartancowgirl on Dec 13, 2015 18:55:08 GMT -6
 _The girls exploring the machair. |
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zbarta
Still in the womb
Posts: 12 
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Post by zbarta on Dec 13, 2015 19:21:32 GMT -6
Very nice cattle you're raising. I'd love to have a few of those girls here in the States. Great story as well, thanks for sharing it.
Zach
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Post by tartancowgirl on Dec 14, 2015 12:49:45 GMT -6
Interested in your avatar photo, Zach - one of yours?
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zbarta
Still in the womb
Posts: 12
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Post by zbarta on Dec 14, 2015 19:59:03 GMT -6
No, but I'd really love it if he was. This is a bull form the 1920's out of Perfection Fairfax called Brummel Fairfax. He is the kind I am going to breed some day, that's why I really like the pictures of your cattle, I can really see the right direction in them.
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Post by tartancowgirl on Dec 15, 2015 14:01:25 GMT -6
Thank you! They are a rare breed here with only about 350 calves registered this year. People in UK keep saying that they are small but actually these heifers seem to compare quite well in size with the other types of cattle in the Hebrides, considering they are not yet two years old and have only ever eaten grass and hay. I think they are ideal for crofters and they cope well with bad weather.
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Post by tartancowgirl on Dec 15, 2015 14:23:48 GMT -6
I think we have to be grateful to the breeders who stuck with them in the eighties and nineties, who have succeeded in eliminating a lot of faults such as bad feet, poor conformation, eye shape and udders, and who managed to increase the size a little but not too much, without losing width. Maybe it does a breed good to be "in the wilderness" for a while, so long as it doesn't disappear altogether - we are very fortunate I think to have some pretty good foundation cattle to build on for the future, but we need more young people to carry on the good work as the older breeders retire.
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Post by picketwire on Dec 16, 2015 16:18:14 GMT -6
So on a year round basis, what kind of environment is this island? Would like to see/hear/read over a years time, with each season, what goes on.
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Post by tartancowgirl on Dec 16, 2015 18:10:58 GMT -6
Actually although this is my country, I am ashamed to say I am learning about it too as I have not visited these islands. A large part of the islands are mountainous with little soil and almost no trees. There are only small areas which can be cultivated and grazed by cattle, although sheep can graze the higher ground. The climate is not particularly cold but it is very wet and windy, especially in the autumn and winter, and because it is quite far north, they get long daylight hours in the summer but only a few hours of daylight in winter. The scenery in spring and early summer when it is calm and the sky is blue with white sandy beaches and wild flowers is wonderful, and that is when tourists normally visit the islands. I understand that their farming system is very different from elsewhere in the UK, and would seem old fashioned to many people, A croft is a very small farm, usually about 10 - 20 acres. Because of transport costs and the difficult terrain, there is no large machinery eg combine harvesters, and often they are using very antiquated machinery - I understand that there are small fields of grain such as oats, barley and rye but the crop is often gathered into stooks and brought in and threshed by hand. It is a community and people help each other and share what little machinery there is. The crofters have their own sheep and cattle, usually small numbers, but they have common grazing areas and all the cattle graze together. They are therefore very concerned about disease and all cattle coming to the islands have to be blood tested for BVD, IBR, Lepto, Johnes and of course TB so they can mix with the others. Apart from some animals which are finished for meat, most of the calves reared will be sold to the mainland as stores for.finishing. Calving is not usually until late April or May as the grass doesn't grow much before May. Some people have sheds which they can bring cattle into for the worst of the winter but there is not much land for conserving grass as silage, and it is very expensive to buy in from the mainland. There are some videos on YouTube about the lives of crofters - worth a look. The lady who has bought our heifers actually makes films I believe. I think it is really interesting.
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Post by nicky on Dec 16, 2015 18:16:02 GMT -6
How big are the islands?
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Post by Carlos (frmaiz) on Dec 16, 2015 18:28:05 GMT -6
if you have Google Earth in your computer and type South Uist in the search window, it will take you to one of the Hebrides you can see the topography. I suppose , tartancowgirl, that your cattle is on the West coast.
Wikipedia gives lot of very interesting information.
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Post by hoekland on Dec 17, 2015 2:03:39 GMT -6
I've been on those islands in summer and the weather was miserable, cold, wet and windy. I don't think the minimum temp goes that low there in winter, but the max temp at any dai in the year never gets to what I'd call pleasant either. Grazing is mostly heather and other short brush and grass and appears to be very acidic.
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Post by tartancowgirl on Dec 17, 2015 16:16:39 GMT -6
Yes the cattle are in South Uist on the west coast, next to the sea - nothing further west but Canada! The only time I would visit is in early summer, because it is cold and wet most of the year apart from that - it is a way of life that one would assume would not suit a lot of people, and yet any crofts that are for sale are usually snapped up quite quickly! Actually when I think about it the weather isn't much better where I live!!! I often ask myself why we came here....
The islands vary a lot in size - Lewis is the biggest, some are very small - it is a chain of islands.
Google Earth is amazing isn't it - with street view you can visit somewhere without actually going there!
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Post by tartancowgirl on Dec 17, 2015 16:22:40 GMT -6
Hoekland you are right about the acid soil - all of the west of Scotland is extremely acid - our fields here are pH 5 - 5.5. The islanders use seaweed to fertilise the land. Apparently the grain grown there is adapted to the soil conditions and is not available to buy - it has to be saved from the previous year's crop.
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Post by tartancowgirl on May 1, 2016 20:45:23 GMT -6
Just thought you all might like to know that our heifers that went in the autumn to the Hebrides have wintered outside and are doing well. They have now been joined by one of our young bulls so hopefully they will be the start of a little herd. Hopefully some pictures in due course!
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Post by tartancowgirl on Mar 20, 2017 17:11:30 GMT -6
A little update from the Hebrides - the heifers have both calved safely (to the young bull that went out there from us  last April). The first produced a bull calf and today a little heifer arrived. The lady is delighted. She also has White Galloways and they are also due to the Hereford bull (should be an interesting colour). Thought you all might like to see a photo - I have the owner's permission to share it. |
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