11 then 12

I found 11 cows at Heath End (O26) browsing the gorse at 1530 this afternoon. I circled around where they were looking for one more, finding only a plump looking deer on the slope down to Long Bottom. Whilst walking back to my car I came across number 12 mosying along to meet her pals. They all seemed OK if in some cases a little bony.

Burnt out car!

Hi

Last night a car was driven through the stock fence and burnt out near the total garage on the A325. I patched up the fence and the MOD are dealing with the abandoned car.

Scary or Just Hairy

Does a sign on the gate saying ‘Cattle Grazing including a Bull’ make you feel unsure? Ever wondered how to walk through a reserve with cattle in it? Or how best to behave when you come across a cow with calf on your walk? Let the Grazing Project Staff ease your fears by introducing you to the cattle at Pondtail. Get up close to the cows, learn about attitudes (yours and the cows’) and how to adapt your behaviour to negotiate a herd safely and confidently.

This event may be subject to cancellation in the event of MOD training so booking is essential.

Date: 27 February 2010
Time: 2-3.30pm
Location: Meet on the heath at the end of Pondtail Road (Map ref. SU 826 541). Please park with consideration to local residents.
Suggested Donation: £1.50
Booking Essential? Yes
Contact: Laura Fairs, LauraF@hwt.org.uk or 01256 381190

10.30, i found all 12 at roughly R 17 on the longbottom track, they were all grazing and as Steve has mentioned a few have ringworm. one of the black ones has a bad case of ring worm and has a couple of sores.

My daughter took my dog for her walk again mon 25 th 1/30 pm she found all of the cattle spread over the hillside below the sandy hill road

Jill's Friday looker report

All twelve

Later on Saturday afternoon all twelve were grazing peacefully at about O 21. They seemed quite content for me to keep them company for a while as they grazed on the heather and gorse. I agree with the others that several look rather bony.

Many thanks

Jill

PS Do you know if the bull who was at Caesar’s Camp in now a field near the main A287 near Newlyn’s Farm? He looked familiar!

All at the Horse Pond

I found all 12 cows spread out around the Horse Pond (~M24) at 0900 this morning browsing from the gorse, silver birch and broom. Some are looking quite bony (tag 300036 for example) and a couple of the all black ones look like they have ringworm. Tag 700056 has bare patches on both sides and some are raw where she has been rubbing them. Red tag 78 has bare patches on her left side. All but 700056 seemed relatively content.

Saturday 10.00 i managed to count 11 just North of the pond at roughly N22. all were grazing the heather and looked o/k.

my daughter took my dog for a walk yesterday as I am unable to walk at the moment she told me she met the cattle at the barrel at 1pm so they,must have moved on before keith drove round norman

Only Seven spotted

Doing the site checks today but only found seven cattle (2 Aberdeen Angus and 5 Hereford) browsing the shrubs by the horse pond (15.00). Drove round and about but no further joy.

I found the cattle this morning 8 15 am they were all there by the blue barrel ,I watched them for 30 mins they were pushing one another about to get at the barrel ,I stayed until they started to move away westwards along the track to the north side of the horse pond although still looking a bit thin they all looked ok ,except for one of the all black ones not the one with the red tag in her ear but the other one ,I was unable to get her tag n,o to many hairs covering it she appears to have a small white spot in her right eye . norman

About 11AM - 5 by Horse Pond and remaining 7 about 500 yards further down Long Bottom on east side.   

3 seen

Hi there
Long time, no blog. Not through lack of looking, or rather, lookering but rather nothing to add. However, today I can report seeing 3 cows this afternoon at the top of the slope above the Horse Pond. If it had been drier, I would have sought out more but the scrub, slush and drizzle somehow sapped my enthusiasm. Great to report cattle activity!
Happy new year!

Signs but no Cows

I went to look for the cows late this morning when the rain stopped in Fleet. The weather was not so fair on Caesars Camp where it was drizzling and the visibility was poor. As a result I must have walked past them on the way to the feeding site at Bricksbury where I found plenty of signs of their recent presence but no actual cows. I walked back via the old pits but still no luck.

I met 6 of the cattle feeding on hay left out near the feild gate at the end of bricksbury estate I stayed about 20 mtrs from so as not to frighten them the feed I watched them for about 15 mins from this distance they all looked ok .norman

Wedesday 13 and Thursday 14

Hello
As you will be aware, we are now feeding the cattle hay. 7 of them are hanging around the field gate behind Bricksbury Hill Road (25P) and the other 5 are over at 7S. This is where we are feeding them and they will probably hang around there until we stop.
They are currently getting about 1/2 a bale of hay a day each, as well as the gorse and heather that they can get to, but some of them are looking a bit skinny so we will be putting out some high concentrate feed for them and possibly remove them if they don't start improving.
In addition, one of the black ones at 25P has a mild case of New Forest Eye, causing it's eye to be a bit milky. The farmer has treated it, but it is worth keeping a look out for.
Thanks for all your help during this busy time.
Alex

I have just come home from walking my dog ,I found 5 cattle 9 am roughly grids o 26 27 they appeared to have feeding on some hay that had been put out a short distance away ,I was only able to get close to one she was slipping her way down one of the tracks I watched until she turned into the undergrowth I then returned home .norman

About 11 AM - 7 head by Horse Pond heading down Long Bottom and about 2 hours later remaining 7 at southern end Sandy Hill heading west.  Having lost a lot of weight over past month or two their condition now appears to have stabilised.

The small black beasts have a much larger belly compared to frame than the others.  Nevertheless one of them appears exceptionally rounded. Is it possible that it is with calf ?

Cattle welfare

Just to reassure you all - the Farmer is feeding the cattle with hay while there is snow on the ground so they do have access to additional food as well as what is on site. At this time of year cattel on heaths tend to eat gorse and heather anyway (even if it wasn't snowy) and fortunately this is the vegetation that is most likely to be accessible to them (as it is taller) in the snow as well so they can and will still eat this too.

There is plenty of running water on site which the cattle can access too. They also still have the 'blue barrel' which provides them with nourishment.

Jills looker report Sat/Sun 9th / 10th

I went up to Caesar's Camp on Sat but souldn't find the cattle so I had another go on Sunday.

I found 7 amoungst the trees at about S13. They were looking rather subdued and were hungry. Each time i tried to clear the snow off some gorse for them, they rushed to it, pushing me out of the way! One black one looked especially thin and a couple of local dog walkers asked how they were as they had been worried about whetehr they ahd enough food and water.

Though i looked around almost the entire site, I only saw skiers, boarders and sledgers but couldn't see the other cattle.

Jill

I have been unable to walk my dog since we had the deep snow ,I am unstable on my feet so my oldest grandson took her out for a walk for me,he told me when he came back that he had seen 7 cows feeding on some hay that had been put out near the field gate at the end of the bricksbury estate grids p 25 26 hopeI will soon be able to go out again norman

I found cattle again this morning 8 am ,about 250 mtrs on from where they were yesterday ,near to the area where they hold the talmag motorcycle trial ,again feeding on gorse also branches of the pine trees ,I was able to get quite close to most today apart from looking a bit skinny they seem to be ok ,all twelve were there.norman

About 12.00 - no change.

8 15 this morning I found cattle they were in the trees grids p 24 25 feeding on the gorse I was unable to get close as they were pushing their way through the gorse they looked ok from the distance norman

I met cattle this morning 8.30 am they were feeding along the fence line behind bricksbury estate there was only 10 could not see the other two it looks as if feed is hard to find at the moment I did pull some handfulls of grass from outside the fence but only 185 would come to take it norman

New Year Sighting

All 12 were grazing close to the gate to Upper Hale at S15 at ~1200 today. All looked well if a little stiff. One of the all black ones and the light coloured one were limping slightly on one hind leg.