Bel, I should clarify the closed herd status. It means no live cows bought in. But we AI (artificially inseminate) all the cows and this year, the heifers too. This year, for instance we used about 25 different bulls over our girls. These bulls mainly come from USA, UK, Netherlands & Australia. We chagne the bulls every year and detailed pedigrees are kept on each cow to stop increeding. We have a senstivity % of 4% inbreeding allowed (which is like putting a great, great, great, great grandsire over a cow). DH does the bulk of the inseminating...I do some, but I'm not usually around the dairy at the right times...well not now (with Pup) anyway.

So tell me...what is an angel monitor? I haven't heard of them.

Brooke, glad to hear the cold sore buggered off. Yukky things. We don't get them and I am really conscious of people kissing Pup.