Most evenings, just before dusk, Kevin and I walk up into the paddock with three buckets of treats — one for each of our beloved cows. The contents of the buckets depend on what scraps we have generated during the day. Lemon and orange peels are very popular, as are avocado skins. The absolute favourite seems to be kiwifruit skins. Sometimes we add a handful of palm kernel to the buckets if there are not many scraps.
Apart from the fact that we just enjoy spending a bit of time with our bovine friends, we also have some practical reasons for these daily visits. For one thing, it’s a chance for us to check up on the animals, the pasture, the water trough, and the salt and kelp rations that we leave out for the animals to pick at. For another thing, our evening visits ensure that the cows are used to being handled, and are in the habit of running over to us when we arrive with the bucket. This should make life a lot easier when it comes time for milking! Since we do not have a dog to herd our cattle, it’s a big help that the cows are in the habit of following us.
Becky cuddles and feeds the heifers
Esmerelda, Queen Bucket Brain
Kevin usually feeds Esmerelda her treats, while I feed Rosie and Coco. A bit of extra care needs to be taken with Esmerelda, because of her horns, so it’s easier to manage her on her own. Rosie and Coco have been together all their lives, and are used to being looked after as a pair. All three cows love to be rubbed, patted, and fussed over. Rosie was quite wary of us for a start, but by now she lets me rub and pat her for ages. Coco has been like a big teddy bear since the day she got here! As for Esmerelda, she likes attention too, but since The Ambler got here (about a month ago now) she’s often in such a hurry to get back to her boyfriend that she rushes away as soon as she’s eaten her treats. The Ambler was not hand reared like our cows, so he’s not too interested in being fussed over and given treats in a bucket. Sometimes he wanders over to see what the cows are up to, but usually he just keeps on chewing grass contentedly somewhere up the paddock.