Wednesday 11th September - All 24 seen

Steers 217, 219 and 222, along with cow 234, were grazing near ///clots.spits.remind at 16:45 this afternoon. Cow 234 paused for a big drink from a large puddle. They all seemed happy, relaxed and were looking well.

At 17:05, steers 220, 230 and 1626 were happily grazing around ///rosette.lofts.feuds, while cow 212 stood in the sunshine, chewing her cud. After enjoying a head rub, steer 1640 lay down in the heather, relaxing and chewing his cud. They were all happy and relaxed.

Just before 17:25, distant rumbles of thunder were heard, and within minutes, a large storm hit the site, bringing strong winds, hail and plenty of thunder and lightning. The five cows and I quickly dashed for cover under the trees near ///save.clocks.doses.

By 17:55, cows 72, 214 and 940, along with steers 30, 227, 228, and 271, were found sheltering together in some bushes near ///senses.ogre.churn as the storm eased. Steers 21 and 270 were further west, in the thicket. By the time I reached the first group, they had started grazing in the surrounding area. Despite being soaked, they were all doing well.

I returned to second group at 18:25, who were now grazing near ///settle.rules.models. Unfortunately, no other cows had joined them, so I set off to search for the remaining six.

After a long search, I found steers 33, 35, 197 and 210, along with cows 211 and 1396, spread out grazing near ///deny.worth.spill at 19:20. They all came over to say hello, and despite being really wet, cow 211 greeted me with a few head rubs. They were all good.

 

Before leaving, I checked on the first group of cows again. All four were happily grazing near ///went.sock.lodge, drying off nicely and looking fine at 19:35.

It felt strange not seeing Bertie (steer 20) this evening. I really hope he responds well to treatment and makes a speedy recovery.

The cows were all good today, despite the weather's best efforts to spoil it.

Tuesday 10th September - 1 cow removed (20) back to the farm for wound treatment

Hi Everyone, 

We've removed 20 (steer that received a wound a couple of weeks ago) 

Back to the farm for treatment. 

Thank you so much for keeping an eye on them! 

Best wishes

Grazing Team

Tuesday 10th September - All 25 seen

The seven Sussex cattle, along with Shetland steers 33, 35, 220 and 230, were spread out grazing from the pill box along to their favourite corner on Sandy Hill at 12:40 this afternoon. They all came over to say hello, with several enjoying some back scratches. Cow 211 was her usual friendly self, giving me plenty of head rubs and a few licks. They were all happy, relaxed and looking well.

The water pipe contractors have begun work just beyond the fence at the corner, with digger tracks visible in the grass. The padlock and chain have also been removed from the recently replaced gate.

The fourteen other cattle were gathered just along from the Lookout at 13:15. It was rather blustery on the higher ground today. Most of the group were lying down, relaxing and chewing their cud. Steer 21, along with cows 234 and 940, were up and about while steers 30, 217 and 271 were tucked away in the bracken. Steers 20 and 227, along with cow 72, were resting in a more sheltered spot off to the side. Steer 20 remained lying down throughout my visit, so I couldn't check his wound. Steer 219's eye looked less red today, though he was still bothered by flies around his eyes. Overall, the cows were looking well.

The cows were all good today.

Sunday 8th September - All 25 seen

At 10:00 this morning, cows 72, 214, 234 and 940, along with steers 35 and 219, were grazing in the thicket near ///limes.desk.tiger at the Royal Pavilion end of the site. Cow 214 approached me straight away, happily accepting a back rub while relaxing. All six were looking well.

Steers 20, 222 and 271 were happily grazing near ///going.tidy.face at 10:30. Steer 20 still had some leaves stuck to his wound. Youngster 220 was eating leaves from the bushes to the southwest near ///forces.kite.brave. Steers 33 and 230 were nearby, enjoying fresh grass in the warm sunshine. All the boys were doing well.

The seven Sussex cattle were scattered across the pasture near ///count.royal.cabs at 10:55. Several of them came over to say hello and enjoyed receiving back rubs. They all appeared happy, relaxed and in good condition.

At 11:30, steers 21, 217, and 270 were standing and relaxing under the trees north of the covered reservoir. They slowly moved out along the track by the fence line, taking breaks every few meters to rest and chew their cud. I then left to search the surrounding area, including the thicket, for the other three steers. At 12:05, I found steer 30 eating leaves near the water sampling hut at ///pushes.hides.climate. He soon wandered south, enjoying the heather. Despite a thorough search, I couldn't find steers 227 and 228.

Frequent rumbles of thunder began around 12:30, adding some excitement to the day. All four steers followed me to the water treatment compound southwest of the reservoir and then into the pasture beyond. After saying goodbye to them about ten minutes later, I headed to higher ground to see if I could spot the two missing steers.

Determined to make sure the boys were okay, I went back to check on the other cows. By 13:00, the steers from the second group were in the trees west of Horse Pond, while the seven Sussex cattle were grazing in the heather to the north. At 13:20, I found the first group of six relaxing on the hill near ///bend.tins.stove. I was delighted to see that steers 227 and 228 were with them and both looked well. Despite the thunder getting closer, the cows were completely unfazed and appeared less bothered by it than I was. After giving steer 227 an ear rub, I said my goodbyes

The cows were all good today.

Saturday 7th September - All 25 seen

Cows 72, 214, 234 and 940, along with steers 35 and 219, were found grazing in the thicket near the Bourley Road car park at 10:20 this morning. Although they were a bit damp, they seemed happy enough. They all came and said hello, with cow 214 enjoying a long back rub while standing chewing her cud.

Steers 21, 217 and 228 were grazing among the bracken near ///coffee.gown.crafts at 11:00. Yearling 270 was nearby, munching on grass along the side of the track. Youngster 227 was enjoying the heather in the pasture on the opposite side of the track. He came over to greet me and happily received a back rub. He seemed to be shedding his summer coat as his thicker winter coat grows in. The boys were all good.

Steers 20, 33, 220, 222, 230 and 271 were spread out grazing near ///truffles.cuts.tend at 11:25. Despite the swampy conditions caused by the recent rain, they were navigating the area well as they moved southwest. Steer 20 seemed fine, though some leaves had stuck around his wound - hopefully, they'll come off when he lies down. Overall, the boys looked well.

At 12:05, the seven Sussex cattle were resting in the heather on the hillside near ///gourmet.being.ordeals. They were all chewing their cud and appearing very relaxed. Cow 212 soon stood up for a stretch before wandering off to eat some heather. As I was leaving, she was just settling back down. All seven looked healthy and well.

Realising that steer 30 had evaded me again, I returned to the second group. They were all lying down and relaxing in the area around ///redefined.throw.nicer at 12:35. Steer 30 had buried himself in some bracken and was resting while chewing his cud. He was looking well. As I was leaving the site, I saw that the six cows from the first group were all lying under the trees to the east of the Bourley Road car park cattle grid. 

As I walking back to find steer 30, I noticed a hole at the top of the new MoD fence beside one of the gates near ///victory.overt.class. Since the hole is high up, it poses no risk to the cows. I've included a photo for reference.

The cows were all good today.

Friday 6th - staff visit

Found all 25 cows in 3 groups. All the sussexes together near James bond pond, 13 up by the sandy area, and 5 just below lookout point. All seemed fine, if seriously drenched!

Sean