Fiona,queen of the Bossy Cows!

This is Fiona.She was my Christmas present last year.I know,most of you girls out there are saying "A cow?You didn't ask for jewelry?"No I am a farm girl through and through,I never wear jewelry,except for my wedding ring and a cross necklace that I never take off.It is also about my fourth or fifth wedding ring.Not because I have had that many husbands!I just loose them.Which is what happens to all the jewelry I have ever owned.Last year one of my gifts was a chipper-shredder I had been drooling over.I love my Hubby,he knows what I like!

Anyway....Fiona is an Irish Dexter Cow.We choose her for many reasons.Irish Dexters can live totally off grass and only need an acre per cow.Although this year is a drought and the pasture is almost gone so she gets hay,not as good,but we do what we have to to get by.They dress out at a higher % of meat per cow pound and their milk has higher % of butterfat.Plus they give only 1-3 gallons a day,more than enough for a family of 3.Perfect for the small homestead!
Then at the end of April, Fiona gave me her own adorable little present.Meet Anna-Belle.She likes laying by the water trough because it is cool,and let's face it it is hot as you know where here in Texas!

She was a surprise because we thought she was due in May.Me and The Boy went out one April morning,like every morning,to feed the critters and I look over to the pasture and there is this tiny black calf standing next to Fiona.The Boy still likes to tell how loud I hollered when I saw that baby!
Fiona was a 4-H cow.This makes her very tame,but with an attitude that she is better that all other creatures!She is the Queen of Bossy Cows!I wanted her for the purpose of being my milk cow,and of course making little cows.I could not wait to start milking her.Apparently she could not wait to kick me in the head!My ever so gentle cow became a pro soccer player with my head as her ball.I am gettin' old,but not so old as I couldn't move fast enough to duck out of her way!We tried hobbles,too dangerous to try to get them on.So I turned to the all knowing Internet.Hubby,bless his heart for putting up with his crazy hillbilly wife,built me a milking stall.It was now me and the cow in a steel cage death match!OK, not really,she still kicked,but I finally persuaded her to stop by a swat with a pvc pipe to her very generous butt area!Don't get your gander up,I didn't beat her,just a swat to get her attention.

It worked,thank goodness!I am not the queen of fashion,I have no idea how to accessorize a hoof dent in the forehead!