Update

It's been an emotional rollercoaster ride and it isn't over yet.

First the more minor things. Ali loaded like a pro and went to her new home where she has another broodmare for company and a riding horse in the next paddock to add variety to her friends. Last seen showing off her trot with her new friends. Fingers crossed for this time being the right place for her.

The two cattle left home in pieces on schedule and we cleaned the last of the old meat out of the freezer (donating it to a neighbour for their dogs) to make room for the new - I can taste that eye fillet now! What amused me and the homekill guys was our bull Jack watched the entire process throught the gate about two metres from the bodies. He seemed very interested but completely unperturbed by the blood and gore. Possibly laughing at the illfated steers and congratulating himself on having a pedigree and some testicles to keep him from a similar fate.

The homekill man always expresses surprise that I watch the process (and I tell him it's to ensure he's doing it properly and I am not having any amateur butchers on my place) he says I am one of few women that do watch. Once dead (and having ensured they died without realising what was happening) I find the insides of cattle quite interesting, that is the point where you find how your pasture management paid off and how different calves turned out. But then I have quite early memories of my father slaughtering sheep (and Christmas turkey) so I suppose it was not something that was ever out of the ordinary in my childhood.

Betsy the cow is due to leave tonight too - she's going in a single self mobile piece though - to a home who will probably be far more caring about her than we ever were. Looking at her today she may be closer to calving than I thought - which will cut the anticipation for her new owners who are very excited about the idea of a calf.

And then the more serious stuff:
Our little Storm has been the emotional roller coaster throughout. After much angst she went to surgery on Thursday afternoon and they found a large blockage in the bottom of her stomach - too large in fact to remove without opening the stomach up (apparently they usually break up masses through the stomach wall and tube it out but in this case it didn't work) So she came through that and was up and okay later that evening though they said the next 48 hours would be critical. On Friday she was eating small amounts and demanding more. Saturday when we saw her she was most indignant that she had a grazing muzzle on but was otherwise cheerful though at that point there was no indication of the success or failure of the surgery. Then on Sunday evening she colicked. They took her off food and put her on painkillers and antispasmodics but she was still showing signs of colic on Monday morning when we saw her. She was miserable. Later Monday night I said to the vet that I thought she should be put down today (Tuesday). I think we were all sobbing but we just couldn't see any good outcome for her at that point. Then this morning the colic is over. She's cheerful, in no obvious pain and starving again. They tubed her and found her stomach empty which is exactly what it should have been and suggests she might be moving what she has eaten further along the digestive tract. I still don't hold out much hope but it appears she's determined to hang in there.