It's Cold and Lonely at the Top

Within just a few days of arriving here this fall, Ebony established herself as Boss Cow.  She did surrender to our biggest steer, Boudin, but when it comes to the girls Ebony rules the roost.

When the polar vortex struck last week, we brought Ebony and Sir Loin into the barnyard and left naughty Boudin (who was nursing on Ebony) out with the horses.  It's much easier with only two places to haul hay and water!

At feeding time, Ebony decides where she will eat, and everyone else gets what's left!  Sometimes Ebony chooses the manger, sometimes the hay net, as she did in this photo.  Sir Loin, Macree and Siobhan know to leave Ebony alone and eat from the manger.  Ebony will occasionally tolerate one of the calves sharing with her, but not poor Siobhan!

We were outside working in the Home Pasture, across from the barnyard, today in a freezing wind.  I noticed Siobhan and the two calves lying down together chewing their cud . . . and poor Ebony off by herself.  I patted her head and said, "It's cold and lonely at the top, isn't it, girl?"

I was glad to see later on that Ebony had joined the others for a cud-chewing convention as they soaked up the last afternoon rays of sun.  It doesn't show up well in this photo, but there was some space between Ebony and Macree (almost hidden except for her orange ear tag), the nearest of the cuddly bunch of underdogs.  Yep, it's not easy being Numero Uno!