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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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 Posted - Jan 16 2016 : 6:30:26 PM
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Elsa also gets her own topic now, given that some day she'll have more activity in her life.
if you want to read about how her momma Sally O'Mally and Elsa came to be part of our farm family please read here https://heritagejersey.org/chatroom/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=752
Elsa at four months with her momma, a few weeks after arriving in Texas.
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_(199x300)_(66x100).jpg?v 93697001) Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
Edited by - txbikergirl on Jan 16 2016 6:32:18 PM |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Jan 16 2016 : 6:40:48 PM
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Elsa is now 7 months. when she first came home to texas she had a wirey winter coat from her idaho life, but that started shedding off within 6 weeks as our winters aren't nearly as cold as idaho (that is a severe understatement).
my elsa, bovine bathing beauty posing in front of the lake this morning. we meander through the pasture by the lake each morning on the way to the "south pasture" which is where elsa and momma stay all day. elsa likes this particular pile of wood so always has to stop and check it out. part of the ongoing halter/lead training is this twice daily walk as we have trained her not to pull on the lead, and she now understands the commands "lets go" and "wait".
her coat has gotten real dark towards the front 1/3 in the last three months, but her neck in the last month almost looks brindled. if you look closely, its like the red is now coming out in her coat, but it is being hidden by the long shaggy ebony hair. its purdy.
and her bangs are really starting to come out, and they are purdy red just like momma's.
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Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
Edited by - txbikergirl on Jan 16 2016 6:42:53 PM |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Jan 16 2016 : 7:41:46 PM
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| She is absolutely stunning, Cindy! Love her brindle stripes. ;) |
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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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Posted - Jan 17 2016 : 08:57:30 AM
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| What a beautiful Miss Elsa she is!!! Such a pretty face. Thank you for sharing your photos and updates Cindy. Love reading and seeing the goings on. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Jan 17 2016 : 11:28:19 AM
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thanks keeley and janet!
and i forgot to mention, miss mary jane - our little girl is growing up, we have to move her from a small harness to a medium this week ;> there isn't even room left on the small to make another punch. harnesses on order! |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Jan 17 2016 : 1:44:29 PM
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| Beautiful young Elsa. Thank you for sharing such beautiful photos so we can see Elsa grow up! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Sydney2015
1156 Posts
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Posted - Jan 17 2016 : 9:27:29 PM
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| Elsa looks beautiful, AppleButter has also gotten darker this winter. |
A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder
I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter! |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Jan 18 2016 : 08:08:48 AM
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| Takes my breath away. She truly is gorgeous. I love the shape of her face and her outlined eyes and muzzle. I can't wait to see what her adult coat is like. I'm remembering that Maizy and Milky Way gave me a steer years ago named Otis. He had a normal fawn coloring as a calf. Sometime before he turned one, he brindled up nicely. But then as he aged, it all turned red. When he was harvested, he was solid red. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Jan 18 2016 : 10:27:49 AM
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| I don't always think of the cows' coat changing so drastically. Always learning something new everyday. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Jan 18 2016 : 6:30:23 PM
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thanks ladies for the kind compliments on behalf of miss elsa!
i thought you would like to see some more current photos mary jane, you keep me on my toes - otherwise she'd be ten years old and i would be wishing i had photos documenting her growth over the years ;>
charlene, its really just another way animals are like humans isn't it? they really change over their lifetime, but when we look at a photo at 20 years, or 10 years, we can still look back at that 3 month photo and see the same person in there... its awesome. can't wait to see what she is like in two years as a lady! |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Jan 18 2016 : 7:12:32 PM
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| My animals change, but I haven't seen any of them change as much as Elsa has! Or in the manner that MaryJane describes. Our sweet black lab/border collie has only changed in that she has more gray hair! All of my Oberhasli goats are the same coloring (brown and black) and they haven't changed either except my older ones look ... well, older. :-) But they do change somewhat as they grow from a newborn animal to full grown... I just haven't experienced all the coloring changes. And, I sure hope Betsy does NOT change as I absolutely love her coloring and patches. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 07 2016 : 3:59:40 PM
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i listen to a podcast sometimes called "chicken thistle farm" and they chat about all they have going on at their farm in new york. sometimes they refer to their sow that goes into a standing heat when they drive the john deere gator by her during that time ...
when elsa was in heat two weeks ago we had the woods being cleared and fences going up. she was definitely agitated that morning. when the kawasaki mule drove by the corral she got so exited about that thing and followed it all around the corral. i think she was ready for some action with that mule ! |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Feb 07 2016 : 7:02:51 PM
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| How funny! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Feb 07 2016 : 7:13:59 PM
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I've had plenty of that around here this past week with both Ester Lily and EB going into heat. Apparently, Lacy Lou, who is pregnant, got in on the fevered pitch and surprised (humiliated?) one of the fellas who works in our food facility. There's no end to the ribbing the other guys are giving him. "How's your new girl today?" "Got plans for Valentine's Day?" I can't remember who but one of my girls went after our red wheelbarrow once.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 08 2016 : 08:50:14 AM
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| that's hilarious. it takes on a whole new life when you have a herd of cows with all their different personalities and antics. not to mention the non-farm specific help ;> |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 08:05:47 AM
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elsa is going through the terrible twos this month ;>
she started butting/pushing again a few weeks ago, and this time it was very difficult to break. i think we got it stopped. and she has now gotten, in the last two weeks, VERY pushy about her food - very impatient, rude, etc. i think it is a combination of getting older and thus eating more, finding she really does like her food, and also that with the recent frosts pasture is down a bit so she's hungrier in the barn than before.
i feel that with animals we have to teach them two things - patience, and manners. this is what makes co-existence of humans/animals work smoothly, and keeps most things safer. i have been working this with my dogs for years, so this is how i work with the cows also. so now back to the drawing board with elsa as we had taken 10 steps forward over the past few months, and now appear to be 4 steps back as she works through this phase.
"hi mary jane, do you see my cute bangs coming in all red now??!"
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Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
Edited by - txbikergirl on Feb 12 2016 08:07:12 AM |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 08:10:47 AM
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i don't know if you can really tell, but with her shedding this last month she has more red showing through. i tried to find a photo from this morning that wasn't tainted by shadows, etc. the line down her back at the top of her spine is now the reddest hair she has. the front half of her body is still really dark, but the red is starting to come through more on the back half. its almost like the white mark on her back separates the dark from the red.
and here is the difference in coloring between momma and baby. quite dramatic.
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Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
Edited by - txbikergirl on Feb 12 2016 08:12:59 AM |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 08:15:08 AM
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Sounds like she's in the slamming-her-bedroom-door stage. Time for good parenting. Is she with Sally some of the day? My daughter and I were laughing recently about how I ended up grounding her for, not three days, but three months when she was in 7th grade. She thanks me now:) but we were laughing about it over lunch recently. Why THREE months? (Honestly, I can't remember at this point.)
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 08:16:54 AM
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| We were typing at the same time. Looks like Elsa's with Sally enough for the occasional butt sniff. Geez Louise. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 08:18:02 AM
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| Also, in the photo it looks like those two girls live in a National Park. What a gorgeous back-drop scene!! |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 08:18:08 AM
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finally, i actually took a video this morning. i need to go check the calendar to see if elsa is coming into heat. i think this will give y'all and miss mary jane an idea of h ow much elsa has grown. you can also see how dark elsa is, but when she gets in the sun at the end you'll see how the red is starting to peak through so we'll see where her coloring goes over the next year.
i just have to say it, sally is just so gorgeous. her coat is literally like velvet, a golden maple syrup color. after this video she came on over and was all love, but i haven't mastered videoing while loving on a cow yet.
ok, i have to practice how to upload video as i am sure i have to upload to you tube or something first but don't have time to do that now. will be back tonight to do that
ok, i got it on to youtube but it is sideways and i didn't get it imbeded here. i'll try to fix later, sorry for the craziness.
https://youtu.be/s6NcC1ebcRs
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Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
Edited by - txbikergirl on Feb 12 2016 08:37:10 AM |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 08:21:49 AM
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| Yes, YouTube. We're all eyes and ears. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 08:31:47 AM
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| When it comes to coloring and genetics, I have to say how unpredictable it is. Take for example my granddaughters Mia and Stella, sisters. Mia has blond curly hair and an entirely different body type. Stella has straight, dark brown hair and not at all fair-skinned like Mia. They don't even look like sisters, really. I'm looking forward to seeing what your next calf looks like Cindy and Miss Daisy's calf from Sir Charles. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 08:33:04 AM
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thanks mary jane. we put elsa back in with sally last week, so other than at night when they are in adjacent barn corrals they are together all day. i do think some of it is also just establishing her dominance... which is funny given she's just about the most relaxed laid back creature i have ever had.
the green pasture in the background is the "new" pasture we hope to open up to them this summer, but it's been too wet this winter to complete 2 of the 4 fence lines we need. so at least half done.
the pasture they are in is as green in places, but of course the girls have their favorite areas and this morning wanted to bask in the sun in the more frost bitten area ; > |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 08:38:41 AM
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| Right now with all the changes in my herd, sweet Miss Daisy is feeling the need to dominate for the first time in her life. Poor Ester Lily seems indifferent for the most part, but I swear she has her feelings hurt. She's so docile. However it works, Miss Daisy feels like sometimes she has to go out of her way to nudge Ester into submission. Sigh. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 08:39:38 AM
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genetics are totally fascinating mary jane. and they are all gorgeous, just different (both grandgirls and calves!). i too am excited to see how the future generations look.
and also, aging is just amazing . like women, i think the 50s are much more interesting in female beauty than the 20s... but thats not exactly common thought. cows just get more gorgeous with age. |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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![[flourish]](/images/flourish-txt_mobius.png)
Elsa O'Mally Butters - in Texas!
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