Congratulations Bonnycoft McMoos

Exciting news, Bonnycroft McMoos little 4month old heifer, Skye has won the Supreme Champion Lifestyle award at the Levin Show 22 January.

We went up to the show to help Laura and Graham out with the 3 animals they were showing. As we hadn't been to the Levin show before we thought it would be nice to see where it was and who attended etc and catch up with everyone we hadn't seen for awhile. The show was running a separate Dexter Show, a Purebred Beef Show and also the Lifestyle Show. It was run differently to other shows we had been to, as the 3 shows were intermingled. This did work out well as it meant that if you had animals in different age groups, then you weren't running into the ring, doing your thing, then running out and tying that animal up, grabbing the next and running back out with that one. You had a gap in between to give yourself time to readjust yourself and your next animal.

The judge for the day was Marty Crayfer. Although I hadn't come across him before, he has high regard in the judging and beef world plus travels the world judging Beef animals. He was great as he explained why he put animals where and gave advise. He also seemed to judge the whole picture, as in their horns, behaviour, on top of muscle, balance, walk, feet etc and has a very good understanding on Highlands and what their characteristics should be. This is what we often struggle with in the competitions, as a big majority of the judges, judge our highlands on what a general beef breed should be. Where a lot of characteristics are the same, some are not, plus you do have the extra details such as hair and horns and the Highlands of course being a smaller breed.

Now back to the show: there were some amazing animals in the ring, (including a recent Meat & Wool cup winner), beautiful Mums with calf at foot, lovely yearling girls .. so we were blown away, when Marty announced young Skye as the Supreme Champion. It takes a very confident judge to give such a young animal the Supreme prize. So congratulations Skye, and the Bonnycroft McMoos team, exciting stuff. The other young boy, MacDougal McMoo also took the judges eye. He thought he was a beautiful young boy, and explained to the crowd that he had lovely muscle structure and balance and looked to have a really neat character. Both Skye and MacDougal are the first off spring that Bonnycroft have had with their stud bull Fergus McMoo, so they should be very proud of their achievements this far.

Well thats me today, better go sort dinner. Until next time, enjoy and have fun...

Lesley

I have just realised ...................

Hello everyone again.... after I just finished the blog I have just done, I had a flick thru the blogs I have written and realised one big piece of news that I never wrote about.

This is MCMOOS huge Virtual show win....!!!

The virtual show was held last year and it covers the world stage basically. Everyone sends in photos, front, back and side of the animal they want to enter and they all get judged by a well known Highland judge. This time it was Glen Blume from the united states. There were 162 enteries from around the world and guess what.... Janny T McMoo WON !! and McGee McMoo came 2ND. Oh the excitement... we were absolutely thrilled of course and more than anything, shows that we are breeding these beauties right.

Another wet day - 25 June 2010

Well its been awhile since I have sat down and written in the blog. Time has just flown by with so much going on. Here we are now, in the middle of the year... here comes Xmas...eekk. Winter has arrived and it seems like we have had it for awhile with all the continuous rainy days we have had down or up here, depending on where you live.

However on the moo side of things its been as busy as ever. Sales have been going strong and it really is the highlight of breeding these fluffy wee animals, just seeing the joy they bring to people, particularly new highland owners. I keep meaning to start a link referring to comments made from new Highland owners, as they are just so precious. That will be my new job for the beginning of this half of the year !!

We have recently had 6 moos delivered happily to the South Island, 1 starter pack to one family and another starter pack to another. The feed back from both has been very exciting and rewarding.. one new owner commented that this was the first time she has ever cuddled a cow, she was so thrilled and excited by it all. When you have been breeding them for awhile, you forget these points, that its just not the normal thing for people to have experienced.

Its also been the wonderful time of all the new babies arriving. We have a few more to go in the next month or so, but we really do hang out for the new arrivals. Even now, all these years down the track, we still wait like anxious parents when we see that mum is loosing up in the rear end and bagging up in the udders, waiting anxiously and betting with each other on what day the baby will be born. I just cant explain the wonderful feeling of seeing the new born calf arrive...then its down to sussing out its gender and then choosing the name....oh I love this bit.

Have a look on our "new babies" page of our gallery and also our "for sale" pages to see some of our new babies that have arrived over the last few months.

Well I think its time to put the fire on and settle in for another wet cold night...Moos have their baelage and look very happy with themselves..... one in particular-Katrine.... she is standing at the baelage trough feeding her face as normal, and baby Hogan is underneath at his very own feed trough, the udder, happy for once that mum is standing still for awhile, as he knows when shes in the trough there she stays!!!.

Keep warm and dry till next time... Lesley

MASTERTON SHOW - FEBURARY 2010

Well another successful show under the belt, as they say.

McMoos have done well again, particularly with Maggie Mcmoo and her bulf calf Rowno, receiving the Champion Lifestyle Animal of the show. Pete, her owner, was beaming with this success. Then his boy calf, Finnan Mor McMoo once again received the reserve champion male of the lifestyle show....wow, a huge achievement for a calf. This is the 2nd time young Finnan has recieved this. So a boy to watch in shows to come. He is for sale, so if anyone is interested in a very friendly boy who has all the attributes of a great highland bull, let us know.

Then we had young Janny T McMoo in a large yearling heifer class and got placed 3rd, so that was great. And Mr McGee McMoo, not in such a good mood this day, too hot and boring having been pulled out of a paddock from all his girlfriends !!, but still came away with Champion Male Lifestyle.

Always great time to catch up with everyone. It was a much quieter day around the Show grounds, as for the first time they put the beef breeds on the Sunday, instead of the usual Saturday. But still a lovely family show and always nice to get under the trees after show for a nice cool drink.

Out on the farm, we have 2 big girls, Santana and Piper very close producing their babies. They are both as huge as house, particularly Santana, who looks almost comical, looking at her head on... ! We have all our fingers and toes crossed for heifers as it has been a rather strong male flavour in the air this season....hmmm something in the water maybe months ago.

The paddocks are really starting to dry up now as we haven't had a lot of rain in the last couple of months. We are hoping for a bit this weekend. But we certainly can't complain when you look at the Northland folks struggling with no water almost, and extremely dried up paddocks. A very hard part of farming.

Well till next time....enjoy and keep safe. Lesley

Conal McMoo Stars in the Rodney Times

We have a couple of famous fellas amoungst us !!!

Yes its Conal and Shane..... Aren't they looking hansome....

This article was written after their big win at the Puhoi show....

Levin Show - 23rd January 2010

One of our clients, Peter Warmerdam from Mangaroa Valley, recently attended the Levin show, one that we havent managed to go to as yet, but hopefully next year we will.

After a night of rain, Pete started the day at 5.30am feeding dogs, chickens, pigs, ducks and walking puppies before he got to finally sort the moos onto the float. Finally setting off on the road at 7.15 he, arrived at 9 to a wet day in Levin. However by the time the showing got underway the weather cleared to bring a nice day.

Once off the float, he set to cleaning them up abit and getting ready for the ring. The show was well attended and lead to some quite big classes. Pete did really well with his young bull calf, Finnan Mor achieving Reserve Champion Male. Maggie with her bull calf, Rowno at foot got 3rd place in a large class of 9 animals and Ginnie in a class of 8, got 4th. So well done Pete for a great day. I would normally now say, "home to put your feet up until the next show" , but as I know,there is not a lot of time for putting feet up when you have a lifestyle farm, theres always something to do.... so I shall say,"carry on enjoying those lovely moos and see you at the next show".

Monday Evening... Me and the moos

I spent a lot of time last night in the paddock with some of our mcmoo team. I had just feed Abby Rose with her bottle for the evening and her gave her a brush and the others decided they would come and request a cuddle and a brush too...(just as well I remembered to bring the brush out with me!!!) I had to give Janny T a brush first as she has become the herd boss !! just like her mum. Obviously in the genes. Then over to Peigi...well young Janny was not keen on that. She needed the firm voice of "no" to remind her she needed to share. She took that on board and stood their in disgust, while Peigi had her turn. Then over to wee Georgie. Janny decided to try butting in on her brush as well, so received another 'no' from me, and this time she decided she would give up and go and carry on eating. Young Georgie stood there lapping it up, happy in the knowledge that Janny had moved off and wasn't going to get bossy. As I was brushing down her front she turned round and laid her head on my head and licked my hair..... she is such a sweetie.

Standing there amoungst these guys, on a gorgeous Monday evening, all I could think, was how lucky I was to be able to enjoy these beautiful animals and receive their love back with licks, nudges, moos and a big big cuddle.

A great way to end the day and very "de-stressed"...

Lesley