Good mothers

Most Belties give birth in the spring, although it is not unusual for them to have two calves a year. The birth is normally a straightforward process, with few mothers needing assistance. Calves normally weigh in at approximately 4¼st (27kg). The dams are vigilant parents and will warn off any threat from predators. Breeder Anne Bell prefers calves to be born in the shelter of the barn, but this is more for her benefit than theirs. “We bring cows in when they are about to calve, because they have a tendency to protect their youngsters by hiding them in gorse bushes,” she says. “On my 200 acres of land there are many gorse bushes, so it can be quite hard to find the calf. At least if the cows give birth in the shed, I know where the calf is. That means I can find out its sex easily and it can have its identification ear tag put in.” Breed numbers in the UK were severely hit during the foot and mouth epidemic of 2001, when entire herds had to be culled. So many were slaughtered that Belted Galloways were put on the Rare Breed Survival Trust watch list. Since then, however, numbers have risen significantly as the breed’s popularity has increased. In 2007, with numbers exceeding 1,500 breeding females, they were removed from the watch list. Currently, 553 breeders are registered with the Belted Galloway Society, between them accounting for approximately 2,000 bulls and 8,000 females.