Of man - or a woman - and the beasts of the field...
... Husbandry in the green pastures of Normandy...In memoriam Numéro 200
Above: With our herd in the home pasture of the Chateau
Saturday, August 5, 2023
Dear Valued Customer,
Upright and limber, Madame Apolline strides across the pasture. She looks straight ahead, intent on the cattle walking through the field. The light shines down through overcast skies, reddening the sleek flanks of the Limousine cattle as they march out to toward the outer pastures, one cow following the other, their calves trotting at their sides. A shaft of light brightens Madame Apolline hazel hair, throws into relief the silhouette of a straight nose and firm chin. In her right hand, she carries a long wooden bâton. It swings forward in rhythm with her steps.
The cattle scatter at the edge of the woods. The bull, surrounded by a cluster of cows, puts his head down to graze. A few cows lie down in the sun, ruminating. The littlest calves cling to their mothers.
Madame Apolline stays at a safe distance, looking over the herd, her attention lingering on each beast. Ten calves are expected in the next few months. As the mothers get closer to term, they start to separate themselves from the rest of the herd. There are a few newborn calves, who should be moving around and regularly feeding from their mother’s udder. There are rising broutards, or young steers, and several heifers. A heifer’s behavior, as much as her physical confirmation, determines whether we will keep her. The heifer who is “fière,” defiant, aggressive, overly spirited, is selected out.
Our cattle are born in lots, roughly divided into spring and autumn births. Some of our neighbors use hormones and artificial insemination to schedule all births at one time of the year. Vaccinations, weaning, castration, selection, sale of broutards can all be handled in strict sequence.
The Basse-Cour, the name of our exploitation agricole at the Chateau, is more traditional. The efffectif is small – around 35 to 38 cows. Our bull attends to the herd. Madame Apolline seconded by her husband and their son, watch over them all. As the earthy dicton puts it, “l’oeil du fermier vaut du fumier.” Vigilance and the wisdom of experience – the farmer’s eye that enriches the farm – play an essential role.
Madame Apolline has acquired much experience. Married young, she moved in with her husband and his parents at their farm down the road from the Chateau. Everyone worked together. She helped her mother-in-law, raised her children, and managed her own herd of vaches laitières, milk cows. Nineteen years ago, our herd came to Courtomer. Madame Apolline and her husband have accompanied all the animals bred, born and raised on the place.
“Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds,” admonishes the Book of Proverbs, recalling the lives of the Israelites thousands of years ago. Man and domesticated beast have a relationship that is ancient, deep and symbiotic. It is embedded in the very words we use to describe raising cattle: animal husbandry, a duty to nourish and protect.
In the summer sun, on pastures rich with grass and water, the scene viewed from the breakfast room of the Chateau is idyllic. Good breeding makes la race limousine hardy and easy to manage; the small frame of the breed makes for easy births; strong maternal instincts ensure that calves flourish.
Missing from the herd is vache numéro 200. Born out in the pastures almost ten years ago, on November 22, she was the product of one of our own bulls. He was called Vert, which means "green" and is slang for "virile." Her mother was also born at Courtomer. She was, as Madame Apolline said, “une belle vache.”
But last weekend, something was wrong. “Gros problème de vêlage” read the message on my phone. The cow was ready to give birth, but not pushing the calf. Madame Apolline brought her inside the stabulation to keep a closer watch overnight. Sunday, the unborn calf was still. The vet was called in. Number 200 died a few hours later.
The laconic recital of facts was enough to fill out a line in the livre des bovins, our register of the herd. And the loss of a farm animal is less catastrophic than having your tractor catch on fire, which happened a few years ago while Monsieur Yves was moving straw bales down near the stables.
“Nous en sommes vraiment désolés,” Madame Apolline said. “C’était une bonne vache.”
I could hear in her voice that she was heartsore.
The home pasture, as seen from the kitchen window of the Chateau. Madame Apolline is the tiny figure amidst the cattle.
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P.P.S. We are taking bookings for 2024 and 2025.
Heather (info@chateaudecourtomer.com and +33 (0) 6 49 12 87 98) will be delighted to help you with dates. And Jane will be happy to preview the property on site. She can also act as your concierge.
English and French spoken.
We look forward to hearing from you!