Sunday 28th June - All 4 seen - ditch dry, water pumps empty, concerns over drinking water availability

At 15:50 this afternoon, steer 208 was standing and chewing his cud just inside the test track gate, while the others rested on the strip of grass beside him. He stepped forward to greet me and was happy to receive a few head strokes. After a short while, the others also got to their feet and approached to say hello, giving me plenty of curious sniffs. Steer 200 enjoyed a neck rub before shuffling forward for a relaxing back scratch.

By 16:10, they had drifted off to graze near ///simply.funds.poorly enjoying plenty of fresh grass and leaves from the trees and bushes. They seemed to appreciate the cooler conditions, with a refreshing breeze making the afternoon far more comfortable for them. Steers 200 and 208 would occasionally come over and stand close, seemingly happy to share a bit of company. The cattle continued to graze along the sides of the main path, reaching the cattle grid by 16:30. The group appeared happy, relaxed, and unaffected by the extreme heat over the past few days. They were all seen walking, grazing, and resting normally without any visible issues.

I left them grazing and wandered along to check the ditch, which was completely dry. I also checked the water pumps, where the left-hand tray had only a small amount of water remaining in the bottom and the right-hand tray was dry. There was no indication that the cattle had been using them, and it appeared the water had likely evaporated during the hot weather. I gave both trays a good clean and refilled them.

Afterwards I returned to the cattle, who were now grazing among the gorse bushes along the fence line beyond the cattle grid. I remembered that there had previously been some large pools of water in this area that may once have provided an additional source, but despite a long search, these also appeared to have dried up. The cattle did not appear to be showing any signs of dehydration, suggesting they must still have access to another water source elsewhere. However, it would be sensible to teach them how to make use of the water pumps if possible.

I said my goodbyes to the cattle at 17:30, leaving all four peacefully grazing. Before leaving, I checked the car but didn’t have any suitable containers available to provide some temporary water.

The cows were all good today, although the limited availability of confirmed drinking water sources remains a concern.