Since I last wrote in this journal we have added some new "family members"
On the first of April Chris, Val and I went out to a local farm to look at some dairy cows for sale. I was so excited! I was getting my very own "house cow"! By the end of our visit we were the proud owners of TWO cows. One Friesian (Holstein) in calf, but dried off, and one Jersey in-milk. Being able to buy an in-milk cow was a real bonus and I was thrilled. We arranged to collect the cows later in the afternoon and then headed home to make all the necessary arrangements for their arrival.
 
The day seemed to alternately fly and drag by. I felt we had so much to organize that we would never get it all done in time, yet it seemed so long to wait to get my cows!
To cut a long story short the time to collect them finally arrived and we were as prepared as we thought we should be for this great event in our lives.
unfortunately we hit a hitch with the horse float we were to use so we ended up collecting the two new additions much later than we planned so it was dark by the time we got them home.
Chris wanted to let them out of the float directly into the paddock, I wanted them penned behind electric fencing. He won! We opened the back of the float and let out the Friesian, she backed out of the float without too much of a fuss, then it was time to let out the little Jersey. The back bar stuck and Chris had to use some brute strength and elbow grease to get it open. It crashed and rattled as he got it free and she was not impressed! She backed out in a hurry, falling and slipping in the river of cow dung on the way down. Not a very auspicious beginning! Both cows took off into the night and all Chris and I could do was close up the float, get back in the car and drive off, leaving them to settle in without an audience.

I hardly slept that night. I had cows in my paddock! Real ones, with milk!! Excitement swirled around my stomach and played havoc with my nervous system. It was a little scarey too. I have never been up close to very big cows, my little weaners in the top paddock hardly count as the biggest is only about 250kgs and these cows were on the far side of 400kgs!
Morning came and I was up and about by 4:30am. By 5am the bread was rising and the yoghurt was done, a load of washing was in the machine and I was waiting for the sun to rise! At last it was light enough to venture out to the far paddock to see my two newest animals. 
Chris and I set off for the paddock, all the while wondering what we were going to find on arrival...what if they had run away? What if we couldn't catch them? What if......?
We also had one other problem.....a fairly large one too, we had no milking bails. The Jersey was used to being milked in a fancy hi-tech milking parlour and we had nothing like that for her.
"Never mind" consoled hubby, "you know that Jersey's are docile little things, that's why we chose her. You'll see, everything will be fine"
With a nervous grin I agreed, of course we would manage!
On arrival I was relieved to see that we still had both cows. The Friesian was grazing quietly and the Jersey was staring at us from the far corner. SO far so good, now for the milking bails.
We rigged up a very temporary bail for her and then set about trying to coax her into the "bails". It was at this point that the cows previous owner arrived. He took one look at our bails and cracked up laughing.
"You don't expect to milk her in that, do you?" he asked incredulously.
Exchanging uncomfortable looks Chris and I had to admit that we had  expected to milk her in the makeshift bails.
"Ohhhh nooo, I don't think so!"
Without any further ado he set about sorting out what needed to be done before attempting to catch and milk her. We rigged up a slightly better "bail" and then the fun began.

After an hour or more of running around the paddock trying to catch her, using electric tape and 5 adults and 2 children, we finally managed to catch her and guide her into the bail where David (her previous owner) tried to milk her while she snorted her disgust at the whole affair. After all it was like going from the Ritz to Motel 6 and she wasn't impressed! David told us that he had some old bails we could use but they would need to be properly installed. He gave us the measurements etc. and left us to it, but not before Chris told him the bails would be up by the following morning (it was 3pm by this time!)
He laughted in derision and disbelief and it was pretty obvious this guy didn't know my man very well.
Chris worked through the night and by the next morning I had a perfect set of milking bails for my cows! It was amazing!  Now all we needed to do is get the cow in them to milk her!
The games began once again with the Jersey hotfooting it all over the paddock while we tried every stockmans trick we knew. Nothing worked. David arrived, followed by Val and still we couldn't catch her. Everytime she looked at us she would paw the ground with her fore hoof, snort like a bull and get ready to charge! This was no docile little Jersey, this was a seriously psychopathic bovine!! David was puzzled, I was terrified and Chris was getting peeved! This behaviour went on for two more days till we finally gave up and came to the realisation that she had to go. To get her back to the farm meant having to catch her again! Once again we used electric tape to round her up, we got her in the bails and puled up the float, ready to load her. David told Chris to stand in front of the bails to make her back out and into the float. Instead of backing up the silly cow charged (well tried to!)
Without further ado we loaded her up and shipped her out.
I must admit I was relieved to see her go, but a little sad to. My confidence was severely shaken by this little event.
While all this was going on I still had "Tangee" to see to. Tangee is the Friesian we bought.
Tangee is a whole different cow, she is sweet and gentle, everything a Jersey is supposed to be!

Since then Tangee and I have developed a lovely relationship. I go up to see her daily, she walks into her bails without me asking, comes over for a pat and a tickle, eats out of my hand and she has generally wrapped herself around my heart.
Tangee is due to calve in June and I am eagerly  looking forward to this wonderful event. I wonder how I will cope, I will probably have the vet on stand-by (and my doctor!)
I know this is a perfectly natural event and she will probably cope very well without interference but still I worry. I am so new to this whole farming thing..will I know if she's in trouble? What if something happens? What if....?

Well I guess I have rambled on too long again so I will put aside my editing tools and head off to the top paddock where Tangee is waiting patiently for me........
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