A Herd Of Many Sizes

by Zoe Mathias

We have collected another member to join our mismatched family.
Gjynevieve is a three year old Jersey-Guernsey cross, her back comes to about four and a half feet. She is an eastern Washington girl, but I think she can be easily converted to a thick coated, cold weather pioneer.
Little Gjynni as she's been dubbed is due to calve at the beginning of May. This is her second calf, her first being a bull calf.
You can tell Gjynni's peach colored giant hide from the rest of the herd with ease.

There is the highly esteemed Lady Martha Washington. Her dark face and excellent mothering set her high above the stature of Jersey. She is not so pleased with Gjynni for she has taken Lady Martha's place as leader. Although she will a part of the family and a favorite for all time, Martha is leaving sometime this summer to go back to her permanent home.

Next comes Carnation, our red flecked, white, Jersey-British White cross. She is the sweetest cow you ever did meet, but she can be a pain in the butt at times. She and Gjynni seem to be getting along like old chums, despite the foot difference in height.

The resident cow husband is Quincy. The bull calf we acquired last summer is now seven months old, and a rambunctious trouble maker. He devotes his misspent adolescent youth tormenting his youngest wife, Zephyr, drinking as much milk as he can, fighting treacherous straw bales, and last but not least annoying tipping over my full wheel barrels.

Isn't he wonderful?

The above mentioned Zephyr is the all around surprise calf. Born four months before her due date, she's captured all of our hearts. We have finally Sherlock Holmed her probable father out of hiding. We now know, almost positively for sure, that she is a quarter Jersey, a quarter British white, and half Rotokawa, a New Zealand beef breed.

And last but far from least is Sierra, my red mustang. She is even less impressed with Gjynni than Martha. She has been promised another horse for almost a year, and what does she get? Cow after cow. "What kinda deal is that?" she says.
But for all that she wants another horse, she loves Zephyr and Quincy to pieces.
So we'll see who joins our herbivoric herd in May, we're hoping for a Suzanna but a Louie would be just as welcome.