River Bourne Community Farm

Cattle on the Laverstock Downs

There are currently seven cattle on the Laverstock Down where they will remain until around February 2012. There are three Pedigree Aberdeen Angus including Ruby who is a heifer (a young female who hasn’t yet had a calf), the red Aberdeen Angus who was hand reared on the farm in early 2010, one heifer and her mother a cow (mature female who has had a calf before) are black. There are 3 brown & white cows, two are Hereford X British Friesian, and one Simmental x Friesian and last but by no means least, is Summer who is a dark brown Jersey X Angus cow and the leader of the herd! They are all ‘in calf’ and will be due in spring 2012.
Despite many beliefs they are very docile creatures when left undisturbed, if you walk by them they will merely watch and mind their own business. For this reason we ask all visitors to the downs to keep dogs well under control when around the cattle.
The cows are able to live on the downs during the winter as there is plenty of vegetation for them to graze; they don’t need to be fed as much grain or hay and they can find good shelter within the trees and bushes. You may see some buckets near to the gates which contain supplements of essential vitamins and minerals which help them to stay healthy & well, this is referred to as a ‘lick’ called so as you may well see the cows licking it!!
As well as eating the grasses on the downs and making them more accessible to visitors, the cattle are doing essential work to balance the biodiversity of the land. Cattle graze coarse vegetation; open up the ‘sward’ (the grassy surface of the land) with their hooves allowing new plant growth and their dung supports large numbers of insects. This creates a more diverse habitat for flowering plants and insects, and these in turn support farmland birds and other wildlife.
Please help us to keep our cattle safe by following the countryside code when walking on the downs, take your litter including dog poo bags to the nearest bin or home with you as these can be fatal to the cattle and the wildlife that live on the down. Please ensure you close all gates behind you and if you see any broken fences or anyone acting suspiciously please contact the River Bourne Community Farm or Wiltshire Police.