Magic grass…
You remember how we had some serious floods here at the start of the year? Well, now MOST of the fences are repaired and roads almost back to normal (or at least kinda passable) we are getting to enjoy one of the benefits of such a wet season.
GRASS!!
The kind of growth that makes all animals walking through the pastures looks as if they are legless…
And getting in the way of pretty much every photo I attempt to take of our pretty Brangus cows and calves (I know, it’s a problem I can live with!).
For many years, especially around the time we moved back here to Granite Glen from the city, the drought had such a stranglehold on the land that this time of year was always sepia-toned and tough on our breeding stock. We would be supplementing with molasses and reducing stocking rates to eke out the grass we had.
To see WALLS of grass is still amazing to us. And to see fat, replete cattle in late April – awesome. *
I had to take some photos of our Red Brangus ‘paddock’ bulls (these guys just get pasture, as opposed to bulls being prepared for sale later this year who are supplemented). Unfortunately the yards are very overgrown with grass, so legless red bulls were the only kind I captured!
Luckily the buyers for whom I took the photos are good at imagining them with legs.
A nice, pooey bottom shot. Bulls have no shame (and no toilet paper either apparently). If you can look past the processed green stuff, those are some nice bull butts!
And as with any species, boys will be boys…
They ALL have to try and eat the same patch of grass too… sharing is just not in their nature!
With the photo session over, Cal prepares to take the bulls (tails swishing against the buffalo fly that get all nippy in a good season) back to their paddock – note how General has his tail swish in time? Are these things that only I would notice?
My Dad is loving this season – he has strong memories of many, many tough seasons and nothing makes him happier than happy, shiny cattle.
Of course the main drawback (and you do really have to look for them, I admit) to enormous bodies of grass is wondering what the heck is IN there. Mr Incredible has already come a cropper (had a fall) from Trooper when they inadvertantly rain into a pile of logs, hidden in the grass. He’s okay now.
And I make a point of stomping everywhere – warning those sneaky, hiding-in-the-grass snakes that I am ON. MY. WAY. I don’t like surprising, or being surprised. Especially by snakes.
Cattle can also hide pretty well in the groundcover . Makes it tricky to muster them and they don’t even have to lie down to hide.
Let me illustrate…
Dad and Cal are following a mob of heifers back to their paddock…
See how deep the grass is against Dad’s horse, Sampson? Well here goes Cal… following Brangus heifers into the pasture.
Going…
Going…
Pretty much GONE.
Grass. With it’s magic properies that make cows fat and happy and sometimes makes them disappear!
🙂
*We are very aware how lucky we are – and that not all of Aussie cattlemen and women are enjoying this kind of season. Read about the drought gripping those further west here. Feeling for you guys!
12 Comments
debby
When I was a kid, I remember sitting in tall, tall grass, just dropping down cross legged to sit quietly, invisibly. I loved being surrounded by the rustling of it. I liked watching the insects hard at work, microcosms that are missed altogether unless you sit down and look.
debby´s last blog post ..The Story of the Three Chairs.
KAddy
As my dad likes to say “The grass is green and the cattle are in good nick” one of those family jokes when we travel somewhere.
What an awesome way to come into winter. A stark contrast to what some of my family members are dealing with at the moment out Barcy way.
BB of Oz
I know Kylie – I wanted to acknowledge those doing it much tougher at the moment. Praying for rain for them soon!!
Anne
Wow it must be a relief to see so much feed 🙂
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Gretchen in KS
Beautiful, glossy critters! Hopefully the cattle stomp enough that they don’t get bit by snakes? Just one question. On the picture of the mob of heifers, two seem to be red on top, and black on the sides/bottom. Is that just dirt, or some cross of red and black brangus?
BB of Oz
Hello Gretchen… no that’s not dirt! Some black cattle have a recessive red gene which can make their coats either partially red or fully red. These girls carry that gene and will be part of our commercial herd, rather than stud cows. (We do have horses that start trips in our open horse float brown and come out the other end as chestnuts though! Darn that red dust.)
🙂
Kelly
What nice, fat cattle!! It’s obvious they are enjoying all that grass!
Ours are coming off calving and winter hay, so they’re awfully thin at the moment. The pasture is coming in great, though, so it won’t be long before they’re nice and fat, too. 🙂
Kelly´s last blog post ..Two sure signs
Rachel
Love seeing all those glossy hides and green grass, thank you for sharing.
Andrew
The grass is amazing. Do you cattle ever suffer from bloat? I think clover causes it and I don’t see much there.
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BB of Oz
No, not too much clover here Andrew. We keep an eye out for mozzie-borne disease but main issue is just finding them!!
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