Rumen fluke levels were very high among the young cows and in-calf heifers so they were dosed over the weekend. Given the results of the dung samples were so high for it, they could require another treatment for it in a few weeks.

From previous experiences, I’ve learned that it can take a number of treatments to shake off rumen fluke depending on the severity of the infestation.

The in-calf heifers were a dream to deal with but there’s a few among the first and second calvers that won’t be going to the bull next year.

I just can’t justify keeping those who have added speed and nervousness around the yard, especially when their comrades are so relaxed in comparison. The worst culprits are penned together.

Bad disposition seems to be more contagious than calmness and I’ve had enough of dealing with it.

My arrival with 2kg of ration each is greeted positively

Those speedy characteristics have been inherited by their calves and while it’s less of an issue for the bull calves now, I’m trying to rectify it a bit with the weanling heifers. There’s a bovine public relations campaign under way. My arrival with 2kg of ration each is greeted positively and they come towards me rather than run. This should make them easier to manage at grass and put on a bit more weight now rather than next autumn. This will be tapered off before they go to grass.

The contrast with those selected as replacements is staggering. They’re the most laidback heifer calves I’ve ever had. They might get a kilo a week or fortnight later on as a management tool but, for now, they’re on a silage-only diet.

With the exception of one group of cows, all stock has been housed over a fortnight, so they missed out on the winds of storm Barra.

After dark on Friday evening they began roaring for a move so I left them into the next field

I planned to house them on Saturday but they had other plans.

After dark on Friday evening they began roaring for a move so I left them into the next field. This wasn’t to their liking so they followed me to the next gap and continued the vocals. Longing for silence, I let them into the paddock behind the shed for the night and said I’d leave the housing till daylight. If I tried to bring them in, sure enough something would go wrong.

Finished up for the evening, I barely had the kettle boiled when I heard what I thought was louder than usual lowing from very close by. Sure enough when I went out, there they were exploring the area near the shed.

The more experiences I have like that, the more I wonder why I tolerated putting up with the wild side of cattle for so long

Although they were scattered around the yard, they wanted in and I wasn’t for stopping them. I didn’t even have to close a gate behind them. I walked through them, held the gate open and in they went. Satisfyingly simple.

The more experiences I have like that, the more I wonder why I tolerated putting up with the wild side of cattle for so long. It certainly made up for my four-hour episode trying to get a few bull calves in October.

I remember thinking while trying to round them up that episodes like that are likely to cause succession issues on farms, especially if interest in the farm is marginal.

While dosing, it dawned on me that cattle that are easier to handle are going to be essential in the future on Irish farms. Help or vets aren’t going to be as freely available as they have been.