Ladies in Waiting

Now I have a pretty accurate timetable for the arrival of our next calves.  

Babe, the Polled Hereford, has a due date of September 12; she could calve as early as ten days before this or ten days after.  She will have a purebred (but not registered) Hereford calf.  

Bonne-the-Jersey-cow is bred to the same Hereford bull as Babe.  Her previous two babies were also from Hereford daddies.  She is due to calve around November 18, a few days before Thanksgiving.  She's always had boy calves, and now that I have other cows, I don't care if she has one more baby bull.  I'm hoping that next time she's in need of a boy friend, we can get her to a Jersey bull; if that happens, I will be wishing for a heifer.  

Jody, the baby I raised on a bottle, is due February 18.  Since she is at least half Jersey and was bred to a Jersey bull, her calf should look like a purebred.  I really want a heifer from her.  
If all three should have heifer calves (fat chance), I'd probably end up selling one of them, most likely Bonnie's crossbred calf, at weaning.  The time is approaching when we will have to purchase our hay (not this winter, thank goodness), and we can only afford to buy hay for so many cows. 
Now that we know for certain they are all bred, I look forward eagerly to the new babies. 


By the way, it was approaching noon and the temperature was at 100 degrees today when I went in search of the cows.  I was fairly certain of where I'd find them.  It's shady, and there's a nice breeze there.  They will probably stay there all day, moving only when their shade moves, and come up to drink this evening.  They do most of their grazing between 6 P.M. and 6 A.M.