The Fat Ewe Farm and Bed and Breakfast
The Fat Ewe Farm and Moose Hills Inn
Organic Permaculture Farmin' for
the Lazy Ewes
  • The Fat Ewe Farm
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • The Fat Ewe Farm Store
  • Livestock Breeds (click here to see all the breeds)
    • Angora goats
    • Icelandic Sheep
    • Jacob sheep
    • Old English Southdown Babydoll Sheep >
      • Babydoll Sheep on the Fat Ewe Farm
  • Contact Us
    • Photo Gallery (click here for some awesome photos or watch the slideshow) >
      • Video Slide Show
    • Phone Number
    • Map
  • Sale Barn
  • Recipes From the Fat Ewe
    • Old Stuff
  • How Much Meat Do You Get?
  • Ukrainian Easter Eggs
  • Moose Hills Inn

Riggit Galloways

3/17/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Galloway cow is an ancient breed coming from the Scottish highlands where they had to survive on marginal forage, including tree leaves and mosses common to the area. They are smaller than today's popular breeds of cattle, and have been used historically to improve some breeds for hardiness and good mothering. A Galloway cow will defind her calves very strongly and drive off coyotes. Several cows together will keep the calves safe, working as a team. They have lots of milk and though twins is not usual, it is not uncommon. Calves staying with the mothers for at least six months, grow well and the cows do not have any problems supporting the baby while being bred and carrying her new calf. 

The riggit colour pattern is not limited to black and white, but does usually arise from the traditional Galloway. The little heifer's mother was black and white belted and the bull calf's mother was brown and white riggit. A strong riggit pattern is a stripe down the spine, distinct from the rest of the cow, but it may have speckles as well. The stripe is not like a skunk where it is highly defined, but mixed with the other colors of the hide. 

The bull calf should appear masculine, be angular with a large square head, while the female heifer calf should appear more refined. These two are excellent specimens of Galloway cows, but the bull is 1/8 Highland from a grandmother way back and the little heifer lost her mother when she was only three months old and has had to fend for herself, so is smaller than she would have been. She is very pretty with her long eyelashes and lovely colouring. 

The two are in a small pen until they are comfortable with me, and they are halter trained. Kylie, the Highland heifer, is in the pen beside them and is excited and interested in the newcomers that look and sound like her. The bull will breed the girls likely late this fall. The breeder tells me this is common in this older style of cow and while it does slow the growth of the cows somewhat, it is not harmful to their constitutions and will not hamper them for further babies in the future. The gestation period of a cow is nine months, so if they are bred in October or November, they would have late summer calves, which is perfect, because they will be strong and established for winter. 

The Galloways were raised 2 hours from here and do not have winter shelters or extra bedding. The Highlands and Galloways are double coated, so they do not suffer from the extreme cold as the single coated cattle, plus they need to eat much less because they are not just trying to keep warm. 

I love my little cows. Welcome to the Fat Ewe Farm! Maybe it will have to be the Fat Cow Farm?
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Airstream Land Yacht 1964
    Alpacas
    Alpine Goats
    Ameraucana Chickens
    American Buff Geese
    Ancona Ducks
    Angora Goats
    Angora Goats
    Angora Rabbits.
    Babydoll Southdown Sheep
    Babydoll Southdown Sheep
    Bed And Breakfast
    Berkshire Pigs
    Blue Faced Leicester Sheep
    Blue Swedish Ducks
    Boer Goats
    Border Collie
    Border Collie
    Bronze Turkey Standard
    Bronze Turkey (Standard)
    Canadian Horses
    Canadian Horses
    Cats
    Chickens
    Cotswold Sheep
    Crafts And Hobbies
    Cream Legbar Chickens
    Dorset Sheep
    Ducks
    Embden Geese
    E'st A Laine Merino Sheep
    Farm Life
    Farm Life
    Farm Store
    Finnsheep
    Flemish Giant Rabbit
    Flowers
    French Lop Rabbit
    Galloway Cattles
    Gardening
    Gotland Sheep
    Guinea Fowl
    Herbs
    Holstein Steer
    Icelandic Sheep
    Jacob Sheep
    Japanese Bantam Chickens
    Jersey Cow
    Kahaki Campbell Ducks
    Karakul Sheep
    Kiko Goats
    Kilo Highland Cows
    Light Sussex Chicken
    Livestock Guardian Dogs
    Livestock Guardian Dogs
    Maremma Sheepdogs
    Maremma Sheepdogs
    Meishan Pigs
    Miniature Nigerian Dwarf Goats
    Moose Hills Inn
    Muscovy Ducks
    Norwegian Red Dairy Cow
    Nubian Goats
    Nygora Goat
    Ossabaw Hogs
    Partidge Chantecler Chickens
    Pekin Ducks
    Permaculture
    Pied Guinea Fowl
    Polish/Ameraucana Bantam Cross Chickens
    Polled Dorset Sheep
    Potbelly Pigs
    Pygmy Goats
    Recipes
    Rigit Galloway Cows.
    Romanov Sheep
    Romney Sheep
    Rouen Ducks
    Saddleback Pomeranican Geese
    Saxony Ducks
    Sebastopol Geese
    Sheep And Goats
    Shetland Sheep
    Silver Spangled Hamburg Chicken
    Soap And Hand Made Cosmetics
    Standard Jack Donkey
    Sustainability
    Swiss Blackneck Goats
    The Llamas
    The Llamas
    Toulouse Geese
    Tunis Sheep
    White Chantecler Chickens
    White Danish Geese
    Wool

    Author

    Fluffy writes daily about the experiences on the farm and with the bed and breakfast patrons. 

    Archives

    October 2020
    September 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    view old blog site

    RSS Feed

Contact Us
Home

The Fat Ewe Farm 

All text and photos are the sole property of The Fat Ewe Farm  and may not be used without written permission.