In Memory of TK
We lost one of our animals today. We had him euthanased, as he was not able to fight a respiratory infection because he had FIV (the cats version of HIV). Apparently it can be in their system for a long time, then when they get sick they get really sick. TK (The Kitten, originally) may not have been a productive farm animal but he had been in our family since he was about a month old in November 1997. We sort of adopted him from next door. Although he was very cute he had a fighting spirit in him and after he attacked an old lady up the street when he was about two years old (I found the note the lady wrote to us) we kept him in a cat run with a tower, a tunnel and a large flat area with access to inside a shed at night. While we lived in Sydney he lived in his run with the occasional respite inside. Of course when we came to the country he calmed down considerably and enjoyed the peaceful surrounds. However, in the last six months or so he has been going down hill, not venturing very far and not cleaning himself as well as he used to. The photograph was taken April 2008 after we had his ears trimmed due to cancers on the tips. Recently he had a few teeth problems and eye problems and then this week he developed respiratory problems and got very sick very fast.
Goodbye TK.

Good News & Bad News
The bad news is that I won't be milking Jemma and I was looking forward to that. The good news is that Jemma had temporarily misplaced her calf! She hadn't 'lost' her after all. I didn't get time to visit the cows on Sunday but on Monday night I went up there with the stainless steel bucket expecting to be able to milk Jemma and there were four calves including two little black calves. I did try to milk but Jemma wouldn't stand still like before. I think on Saturday she had left her calf sleeping somewhere and had forgotten where she was ... or something. Anyway, everything is okay now - we are back to three girls and a boy. I don't have any photos yet, as I hadn't taken the camera with me - maybe next time.

Milking Jemma
I thought I would leave Jemma and her calf for a few days since all the other cows were so protective at first, plus I was busy with work and other things. Then this morning I saw the cows at the top of the hill, so went up there to say hello. The first three calves were being looked after by Star but there was no sign of Jemma's calf. Thinking it may have been asleep somewhere nearby I asked Jemma to show me where her calf was. Now I know they don't understand what I'm saying but they do understand, if you know what I mean. Anyway she started walking away down the hill, stopping to look around to see if I was following. I followed her to the middle of the top eastern quarter of the back paddock, where she started to look around in a large circle. I am thinking this is where her calf may have died and where she last saw her. There was no sign of her now. She then walked over to the large pine in the middle of the paddock and then back up to where the rest of the herd were. The poor thing. She let me pat her all over and her udder was quite large and tight. And she actually let me milk her a little. So I went back, had my breakfast, and returned with a freshly washed stainless steel bucket (purchased years ago for this very purpose), a warm clean cloth to clean her teats and a clean tea towel to cover the bucket on the return walk.
She was very good and mostly stayed still. I just knealt down near her (no stool) to milk one teat at a time with my other hand holding the bucket. The only time I tried to use both hands she kicked the bucket over. I couldn't reach the teats on the other side, so I had to milk one side and then go around to the other side. In the end I managed to milk half a cup, which would have been more if I hadn't spilt some. I'm going to try again this afternoon and maybe every day. At least until I know she's not going to get mastitis or something. Maybe next time I'll bring a halter. It's a pitty I don't have the cattle yards and milking bail.

I have strained the milk and it's in a jug in the fridge. I intend to have it on my breakfast tomorrow. I might even get more this afternoon. This is quite unexpected. It's sad that she lost her calf - particularly since we can't even find it. But a new adventure has started.

I thought I would include two photos taken the day Jemma's calf was born (or the day after), because the previous photo I included you couldn't see that she actually had a calf.