Tag: Cattle

May 7th – High on Morridge, on a farm access track, a wee lamb was spotted trapped but unhurt in a cattle grid, his momma close by calling mournfully for help with his siblings stood close by.

Approaching gently, the lamb – surprisingly heavy and very muscular, much more so than a dog the same size – was lifted free and offered to the mother gently. He bounded to her, and she bleated loudly, then they all ran off.

I’d like to think the ewe was thanking me, but it sounded more like ‘sod off!’…

Good deed for a long, sunny ride.

August 8th – I passed the Jockey Meadows coos in poor light and soft rain as I cycled home. They were near mostly near the gate having a project meeting and I felt sad for them in the wet, although that was utterly daft, as they don’t appear to care about, or even notice the weather.

They are doing a good job and the meadow is visible freer of scrub and tall grass now, and I guess soon the lads will move on.

Although one must always treat cattle with respect, I do love these gentle, inquisitive and sociable animals. 

July 13th – One of those rare posts when I feature something that isn’t actually here. But was. Recently.

The spring and early summer were marked by the lack of cattle in the water meadow at Green Lane, Walsall Wood called Jockey Meadows. Every year in recent times cows have spent a few months grazing here to maintain the meadow, eating the more voracious species of undergrowth, churning up the soft ground with their feet and spreading the sloppy, fertile cowpat love.

I like the cows. If they’re there, I often stop to talk them, and I always will, because they seem to listen. I’ve missed them this year.

Well, I passed this morning and the cows have been here recently. The meadow and scrub are trampled. There are makeshift cake troughs. But no cows.

I hope they return…

July 31st – A ride on an uninspiring, overcast day actually threw up some wonderful sights, which just goes to show how you can never tell. At Newtown, I spotted the black cat ambitiously stalking mallards from the long grass… And on the rugby pitch at Chasetown, a mature female red deer appeared to be loafing with two generations of her offspring. Unconcerned at my presence, they just carried on snoozing and browsing the grass.

I headed to Barton Marina via Yoxall for disappointing tea and cake, but was pleased to note the Walsall boat and found face; it’s been 7 years since I last tried the place as a cycling stop, and to me, it hasn’t improved – soulless and out of place. 

The rabbit was spotted on the grass on the approach to the marina, and the coo south of nearby Walton.

A mixed bag of a ride, but a decent 45 miles and some great sights. 

April 23rd – I popped out late afternoon – it was very cold with a lazy, biting wind that instead of going around you, just went straight through. It was periodically sunny, but with remarkably dark, threatening skies. I headed for Chasewater and noted that the willows were coming into leaf – always a good sign – and that the valve from Chasewater had now been opened and the water level had started to drop. This seems to be coinciding with the reintroduction of cattle onto the spillway heath, so I guess the authorities want that area to dry out in readiness.

I interrupted a small drama as I crossed Catshill Junction on my  way back to Brownhills – the puss clearly fancied a little duck for supper, but was clearly out of luck – but if looks could kill… 

September 14th – My pals the coos are back at Jockey Meadows. It seems to be the same beef herd of young males that was there in early summer, and they seem to have settled back in well. They’re clearly enjoying the job – managing the meadow by grazing, browsing the scrub, churning the soil and spreading the cow-pat love.

Generally laid back and relaxed about life, they do tend to investigate anyone who comes to the field gate. Such gently nosey, lovely animals.

June 26th – Back near Lower Stonnal, a noxious assault of a different kind…

I was riding back down the lanes and I realised there was a strong farmyard smell, which is unusual there. I travelled some way further and discovered I had been downwind of this: it’s a crop sprinkler spraying liquid slurry on the grass to improve it (I assume the pump is elsewhere).

This is a dairy farm, and they’re using one of the cattle’s most copious products to restore the growth to the pasture.

Nicely circular, but very smelly.

May 11th – This evening when I passed Jockey Meadows, the cattle were obligingly close to the field gate – and what handsome fellows they are. I think there are ten in total, and it looks like they’e been having a paddle in the mud. The work they do is essential – cropping fast growing species, churning the ground up and spreading the poo love. 

They are collected in the evening, and I wondered if they were waiting for their lift, which raises again my occasionally mused question that they must regard this as work, and knock off at a set time. 

Coos are more intelligent than we give them credit for, I feel.

Meanwhile, at the far side of the meadow, a small group of deer were loafing in the reeds. This place really is alive right now.

July 21st – The lads are still working hard in a field further up Green Lane. The small herd of cattle continue to live in the watermeadow, which is looking noticeably more cropped than it was. The cows themselves are all looking in fine fettle – but I do have a soft spot for the brown and white one.

Is it me, or does he seem to be smiling?

May 28th – A foul commute to and from work, characterised by constant drizzle, wet greasy roads and drivers not concentrating. Nearly wiped out on the way to work, a lady pulled out on me from a factory forecourt so closely her car snapped the reflector off my rear mudguard. Had I been slightly slower, she’d have clipped my wheel and I’d have been off. She didn’t even stop.

Returning on a no less intemperate journey home, I was cheered to see the cows still on Jockey Meadows; a fair-sized herd, there seem to be about 12 or 15, and they were looking wet and fatalistic as only cows can. 

I’m convinced they’re here to maintain the meadow and churn it up, whilst spreading the fertile love in the form of cowpats. They certainly seem to be having a good go. 

They were fascinated by me and my bike. I’m sure they’d all have come to the gate had I waited long enough.