I was blogging only the other day about Fortnum and Mason’s friends the cows that live in the field at the end of the lane.  As usual we went visiting on our regular walk yesterday ony to find that intead of two cows and two sheep there was only one cow left in the field.

Hmm strange, maybe they are up the top getting a feed?

Not true.  Our bassets’ friends are no more.  The realities of country life are hard.  Such animals are bred and raised for only one thing in mind.  The dinner table.

I’ll save you the gory details but there was evidence that the home kill man had been visiting and they are probably now rehoused in the butchers yard waiting for their eventual return back to Ross and Jenny’s freezer.

A few weeks ago we were offered one of the cows for our own table but since our barn is still in disarray and we would need a chest freezer to be able to keep the meat we said thanks, but no thanks this time.  Seems that this may have been the thing that saved the lovely number 44 who still stands in the field now feeling pretty lonely I fear.

The cows were originally in the field of our neighbour and this picture shows them enjoying the spring pasture.  It was only when summer arrived and there wasn’t enough grass to keep them going did the numbers drop from 6 to 2 and now it seems to only 1.

But hey, this is farming, albeit on a small scale.  At least these animals lived happy lives, ate well and had two basset hound friends.  Perhap’s it’s not been a bad life after all.