cow Archives - GlenMyu Estate Luxury Bed and Breakfast

My wife’s birthday present to herself.

My wife's birthday present to herself

My wife’s birthday present to herself.

You may be surprised what the lady, who worked in the fashion industry before moving to Sri Lanka, bought for herself.

A dream made real.

I didn’t know when we met where we would end up.

It’s not something that you discuss on an initial date.

I don’t have the type of character that would naturally discuss dreams and aspirations.

We did discuss a future plan. I saw it as a change at the right time of my life. A chance to get some time back.

My wife is Sri Lankan and we met when she was working in the UK.

And how did you meet?

Lots of our guests at GlenMyu Estate ask how we met. Some are surprised that we met on the dance floor in International Student House, near Great Portland Street.
At the time she was in the country only occasionally and we always danced together when we met. It took her almost nine months to ask me out. Yes, she asked, I didn’t read the signs.

A relationship and a plan.

During our years in the UK my wife always said that her plan was to go back to Sri Lanka at one point.
Our relationship blossomed and I guess I was in on the plan.
Maybe I didn’t listen hard enough, but I understood that the reason she wanted to go home was to live with her parents.

What I didn’t hear (or listen to) was that she really wanted an organic farm and to look after animals.

Things evolved.

Plans change in life and our initial idea of living in Colombo and using a smaller version of the house at GlenMyu Estate as a holiday home changed.

I really couldn’t manage with the heat in Colombo (almost 10 degrees Celsius more than the hills). The feeling of being a prisoner in the morning and evening avoiding the mosquitos was also not pleasant. Although there are mosquitos in the hills, the temperature results in very few bothering me. I can sit out in the evenings in the cooling air and not be pestered.

Our plan changed and it fell in line with my wife’s dream of living in the mountains and creating an organic farm.

A lot of work, a bed and breakfast and lots of animals.

Roll on to the present time and after a lot of hard work and persistence we created GlenMyu Estate.

The estate is funded by having guests stay with us when they are on holiday in Sri Lanka. Being around an hour away from Ella, Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam’s Peak etc, we are a good alternative to the busy tourist town. We have great reviews from our guests and they rave about Ru’s food.
As we only have three bedrooms availability is getting scarce during the peak holiday periods.

We have gathered some animals which are an added interest to the guests that stay.

My wife's first birthday present to herself.

As you get older it’s hard to chose a birthday present for your partner.

In the UK it was a little easier as Ru was really interested in cooking. So, cook books were welcomed.

I managed to get several books signed by Rick Stein over the years through my brother who drove him around for a period and also standing in line at a book signing at Waterstones. There were books from other authors and Le Cordon Bleu as Ru carried out a short course there.
My mother lives in West Cork, Ireland and there are books from great producers such as Gubbeen and by her acquaintances including also Darina Allen from Ballymaloe.

In Sri Lanka, living away from Colombo, it is a little more difficult choosing a suitable present.

As we were driving from Haputale to Beragala, my wife decided that she wanted to buy four ducks for her birthday. I guess this is where buying her own birthday presents started.

The ducks were installed at GlenMyu Estate and have multiple over the years to around twenty. They add something special to the environment and I find watching them quite meditative.
Ru has a special relationship with our original mother duck who follows her around and is more like a pet.

Her latest birthday present to herself.

In December 2022 we took ownership of our rescue cow Maali.
She has also become a great addition to the estate and provides us with manure for our organic garden.

Unfortunately, being alone, behaviour problems started to arise and she would try to play and heat butt our dogs, ducks and chickens in the afternoon.

Having read more about the issue it was clear that cows, being a herd animal, need some company of their own kind.

An opportunity arose to chose a new birthday present.

One of our neighbours had a bull calf which was destined for the slaughterhouse.
Females are the important ones as they produce milk and generate an income for these smallholders.

Ru was given the opportunity to rescue the bull calf and, after a little discussion with me, she decided that this would be her birthday present to herself.

The birthday present would not just be purchasing the bull calf, but also building a new cowshed where he and Maali could stay. Maali’s accommodation was not big enough for two.

My wife's birthday present.

My wife used to work in the clothing and fashion industry. I think that if you asked us ten years ago what she would be getting for a birthday present, a bull calf would not have arisen as a choice!
Life has changed and perhaps there will be another life saved with her choice of birthday present next year.

Not just a bull calf for her birthday.

The day of my wife’s birthday included feeding stray dogs with the big batch of chicken and rice that had been made that morning.

Lots of poor creatures were fed on the way to the beauty salon where she spent a lot of the remainder of her birthday being pampered

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and meet our animals.

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours or so drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

My wife’s birthday present to herself. Read More »

Our cow got a friend.

Animals that live at our visit GlenMyu Estate., Holiday, Our Animals at GlenMyu Estate, Our dogs, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

Our cow got a friend.

Our cow got a friend.

Maali is excited as she finally has a friend at GlenMyu Estate to accompany her as she grazes at the 5 acre estate.

Read on to find out how this came about.

If you want to read about how Maali arrived at GlenMyu Estate please read our articles “We got a Cow” and also “The Cow, a year on (almost)”.

Dogs and ducks as friends and playmates?

Maali was a little confused. She cleary was lonely and decided that her playmates were the dogs, ducks and chickens.

Maali would graze for the morning until mid afternoon and then we would let her free to room and forage.

So cute, but such bad behaviour.

Maali settled into GlenMyu Estate quite quickly. She was let free on the estate to forage and eat what she liked. Life is a learning curve and we realised that we would have to tie Maali to one spot for a few hours to concentrate on feeding in one area. She had a tendency to flit from one place to the other. Sometimes she would come bounding towards us when we were working on the land. It was funny, but sometimes scary and dangerous.

When we started to take her to forage in one part of the land she was quite stubborn and wouldn’t move. I used to play rugby in the front row so there was often a tug of war to get her to move to where we wanted her to go. Luckily I still have a bit ion technique and she hasn’t neaten me yet!

When Maali was released in the early afternoon she would run around like a crazy cow. The puppies would run after her and she would try to butt them with her small horns. This was the same for any ducks or chickens that she came across. We think that this was play rather than anger as she appeared to seek them out when she was loose.

She would bound around the land running more like a cheetah rather than a cow.

Although this did provide some entertainment, I was worried that she would create an accident either to her playmates or herself.

There needed to be a change at GlenMyu Estate.

A little bit of research - Our cow needed a friend.

We did a little bit of research and found that when cows are alone they sometimes develop bad behaviour. They are herd animals and really should be with other cows.

According to Farm House Guide “The truth is that cows are herd animals, and they need friends to help keep them happy and safe”.

We had known for some time that Maali really needed a friend.

So spoilt!

Doesn’t the first one always get spoilt? Maali was certainly spoilt and given a lot a leeway at GlenMyu Estate.

Here she is waiting near the outside kitchen for a snack.

An opportunity arises for our cow to get a friend.

One of our neighbours has cows which are used to supply milk. One of his cows had a bull calf. His mother had been sick when he was born an he was not fully weaned on his mothers milk. This left him with a pot belly which is normal in these circumstances.

Another neighbour had told us that the owner of the bull calf was looking to sell him.
We asked him to get in contact with us.

After a discussion with the owner and the vet, Ru asked the bull calf to be brought along to meet Maali and see whether they would get along with each other.

What was the alternative for the infant calf?

Unfortunately, if we did not buy the calf, he would have been sent to the butcher. This is the normal outcome for these animals in Sri Lanka.

Ru met the calf when he was brought to the land to see whether Maali would accept him.
Both Maali and Ru made a connection straight away and there was only one choice.
He was going to have a new home at GlenMyu Estate.

We try to do our bit.

Unfortunately, we cannot save all the animals we would like to from the fate that this calf would have met.
We have limited space at GlenMyu Estate to allocate to the animals and being on a hill limits our capacity.
However, at least this animal will have a good life ahead of him.

No room at the inn?

We did not plan to have a second cow.
In early 2023 we had constructed a new home for Maali where she was now settled. We had not planned for two animals and there was “no room at the inn’ so to speak.
Therefore, we had to identify a suitable site for a home for two.

A big move and a some investment.

The land at GlenMyu Estate is bisected by a stream that runs through the middle of the land.
The stream runs alongside the swimming pool and forms a natural barrier for each side.

Maaili did some major damage to our flowers and other plants that she found tasty. We used to have a beautiful array of flowers alongside the lawn in front of the house.
Maali used these flowers as a buffet when she wanted some variety from the grass she normally eats. This has left our flowerbeds devastated and not looking very attractive!

The site is identified.

We decided that we would site the two cows in a new spot across the river. A gate would be placed at one side of the stream to protect the plants we have nearer the house.
This would result in the cows being focussed on one side of the land where we would be happy for them to forage.

More work to make a new home for our cow and her new friend.

The arrival of the prodigal son.

Here are some videos we took of the big moment when Maali met her new friend.

Maali was not aware re at first but in the end she looks very happy.

Happy together -Our cow got a friend.

You can see from this photo that Maali is making her acquaintance with her new friends.

The start looks good, let’s se if it continues and they become good friends and companions.

Our hopes for the future for our cow and her new friend.

Our aim is to provide both Maali and her new friend a good, safe life at GlenMyu Estate.
In exchange we expect lots of manure to put on our organic garden.

How can you help?

Income we generate from guests staying at GlenMyu Estate when they are on holiday in Sri Lanka is the way we fund the costs to run the property.

By choosing GlenMyu Estate you will support what we do.

You will also have a great experience when you stay and explore the fantastic sights in the Sri Lankan Hill Country.

Your spend with us help fund the following:
Maali, our cow and her friend.
The cost of feeding and providing medication for our rescue dogs.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate, meet our animals and explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Our cow got a friend. Read More »

10 animals to see on Holiday in Sri Lanka.

Animals that live at our visit GlenMyu Estate., Holiday / By Mikeez

10 Animals To See On Holiday In Sri Lanka at GlenMyu Estate.

10 Animals to see on holiday in Sri Lanka at GlenMyu Estate.

Not the usual elephants, leopards and crocodiles you see on safari. But they are a wonderful sight at Yala, Udawalawe, Minneriya, Wilpattu or one of the other parks. (I haven’t been lucky enough to see a leopard myself.
But the sun must have been shining on lots of our guests at GlenMyu Estate as they show me their great leopard photos!

Some you will definitely see, some you will maybe see and others you will be lucky to see!

Definitely.

Animals that you will definitely see at GlenMyu Estate.

1. Our rescue dogs.

We have several rescue dogs at GlenMyu Estate.

Although we did not plan to have dogs, we appear to have gathered a few. My wife and I blame our first dog, Clove, for our collection. If Clove had not been such a nice, loving character then we may have been more reluctant to take on more rescue dogs.

I have finally put my foot down and we are at our maximum number of pups at GlenMyu Estate.

2. Animals you will see on holiday in Sri Lanka - Our rescue chickens.

We have rescue dogs and now we have rescue chickens!

Again, we never planned to have chickens.

This situation changed when one of our acquaintances could not afford to feed his chickens when the financial crisis hot Sri Lanka. The cost of chicken layers feed was either not available or exorbitantly expensive.

We decided to take them on.

The chickens were being kept in a shed and did not have the freedom to roam and forage.
At GlenMyu Estate we have five acres of land.
We decided to buy the chickens and create a safe space for them to live. The plan was for the chickens to forage around the estate and we would not have the cost of feed. We were pleased that the chickens settled in well and although they had not been conditioned to forage, those instincts kicked in quite quickly.

You live and learn and after we lost a few chickens to Mongoose and Eagles, we increased their security. They now have a bespoke house in which to live. The coop is fenced off with chicken wire which helps fend off predators. We even have a fishing net above the coop to stop the eagles flying in.

One of our staff looks after the chickens when they are out of the coop foraging. It makes the eggs that we get very expensive, but they are delicious. Despite losing a few chickens the numbers have increased as we get new chicks every so often.

Despite the cost we are happy that we have provided these rescue chickens with a good place for them to live.

3. Ducks foraging around the five acre estate.

The ducks have been at GlenMyu Estate for a longer period than the chickens. Ru wanted to get some ducks as her birthday present, so off we went.

The initial four ducks have multiplied up to around twenty. I was getting worried that they would keep on multiplying and we would have created a problem.

The duckling production has slowed so we appear to have a manageable number at this time.

I really enjoy watching the ducks forage around the estate and swim in the various ponds and streams around the estate.

4. Maali, our rescue cow.

We have a rescue cow called Maali. She arrived at GlenMyu Estate in December 2022. She is an important part of life at GlenMyu Estate and has settled in well. Maali grazes in the land and provide good nutrition for our garden. She adds to the landscape and her character has developed since she has been at the estate and she provides us with lots of laughs and entertainment.

You can read more about Maali in our articles “We got a cow” and “The cow – a year on”.

Maybe/probably

Animals that you will probably see at GlenMyu Estate.

5. Monkeys - Toque Macaues or Tufted Grey Langurs.

Toque macaques are found only in Sri Lanka

They are regular visitors to the trees at GlenMyu Estate and forage on leaves and any fruits that they can get without being disturbed by our dogs.

You can read more about Toque macaques at NePrimate Conservacy.

Tufted Grey Langurs also visit the trees at the estate quite often, but less than the Macaques.
They mainly eat the leaves on the trees and sometimes are seen bounding over the floor playing or getting to a new safe spot. Read more about Tufted Grey Langurs here.

6. Flameback Woodpeckers.

The Red-backed flameback, Lesser Sri Lanka flameback, Sri Lanka red-backed woodpecker or Ceylon red-backed woodpecker are endemic to Sri Lanka.

They live to eat the ripe Jackfruit from our trees.

7. Black Eagles.

We regularly hear the screech of the Black eagle as it circles around the hills near GlenMyu Estate.

Sometimes there are two or three in the air circling, searching for food.

When we hear the screeches we run to protect our ducks and chickens.

Only if you are lucky!

Animals that you will might see, if you are lucky, at GlenMyu Estate.

8. Animals you may see on holiday in Sri Lanka - Porcupines.

We do have porcupines that come to the land and dig up some of our young coconut trees and other roots. You can read more about porcupines in the following Daily News article “Pangolins and Porcupines”.

We have seen they in our vegetable garden occasionally but they scatter away too fast t get a photo.

9. A Giant squirrel.

A don’t have a good photo of a giant squirrel just yet, however you can see what they look like in the following link to Animal Bio.

They normally like to spend their time in more wooded areas and we do not have sufficient tree cover at the moment. Our neighbours have created a forest and they have plenty of visits from Giant Squirrels.

Our neighbours have difficulty in getting a harvest from the crops that they plant because of the Giant Squirrels, so we are happy that it is only an occasional visitor.

10. Barking Deer.

You will be lucky to spot a Barking Deer or Mouse Deer at GlenMyu Estate.

This picture was taken on a long lens as it was eating grass at the far end of the estate. As soon as the dogs are aware that the deer is on the land, they bark, and the deer runs off to safety.

And too many more to mention!

Of course, there are may more animals to see on holiday in Sri Lanka.

I could have mentioned the snakes. Occasionally we see a Cobra when it come out to bathe in the sun or forage for food.
However we regularly see the rat snake. (don’t worry, it’s not venomous).

Hopefully we don’t see the Mongoose. They have been successful in having some of our ducks for lunch!

There is a vast array of birds that visit the estate and too many for a list of ten. We regularly have birdwatching sessions with our neighbours and are ticking off the birds that we spot.

Bats fly around the estate when the sun goes down.

We have lots of insects coming to the estate. The Christmas Fly is a pain when it comes but the frogs, geckos and birds have a feast.

10 Animals to see on holiday in Sri Lanka at GlenMyu Estate -Summary

Our rescue dogs.
Our rescue chickens.
Ducks foraging around the five acre estate.
Maali, our rescue cow.
Monkeys – Toque Macaues or Tufted Grey Langurs.
Flameback Woodpeckers.
Black Eagles.
Porcupines.
A giant squirrel.
Barking Deer.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and see the animals that visit the land.

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

10 animals to see on Holiday in Sri Lanka. Read More »

The cow – a year on (almost)

Animals that live at our visit GlenMyu Estate., Our Animals at GlenMyu Estate / By Mikeez

The Cow - a year on (well almost!)

The cow – a year on – well almost! Here is an update on our cow Maali who has lived at GlenMyu Estate since December 2022. .

If you have read our previous article “We got a cow!”, then perhaps you will be interested in an update on how we have got on so far.

Maali is now part of the family

After my initial hesitation and worry about having a cow on the estate, Maali is now ensconced into our family at GlenMyu Estate. Maali is very comfortable living on the estate and her character has really developed since December 2022.

All the other animals are used to Maali going about her business although the dogs still make a fuss when she comes back from her day grazing.

Some of the issue with the dogs have been brought about by Maali herself. We think that, as she is a herd animal, she really needs some company of her own.

I need a friend!

Her substitute for a friend appears to be chasing the dogs, chickens and ducks when she is let loose. Of course, this winds up the dogs who are happy to play. I must admit that I do laugh when some of our more recent puppies grab hold of her rope and pull it as Maali walks back towards her enclosure to see if any food has been left for her by the chickens.

Character building

She is a real character and quite determined in what she wants to do.

Sometimes it takes a bit of encouragement to get her to do what you want. It’s as if she is a petulant child!

In the morning, Maali sometimes decides that she wants to be taken to a different part of the estate to graze. She stops dead and refuses to move!

It takes some effort to get her on her way again. Fortunately years playing rugby in the front row means that I have technique that can even move a bast of this tonnage. A tug of war ensues and after a while Maali realises that she is on the move.
I am trying to lose a bit of weight and perhaps in the future Maali will win this battle. But for now it’s an unexpected addition to my strength exercises when she decides to be stubborn!

The reaction from our guests.

Maali features in our Instagram, YouTube and Facebook photos and videos every so often. Many of our guests know about Maali before they come and are keen to meet her. We had two Indian Lawyers stay with us and as soon as they got out of the car they were looking for Maali. Several of our guests grew up in the country or on a family farm and like that there is cow on the estate. I guess that it brings back memories and is a comforting feeling.

We nearly lost her - twice!

Over the past ten months we have learned that we can’t allow Maali to roam free. Evidence of this is that we used to have a nice border of flowers and plants on the border of the lawn. Maali decided that this was a delicious buffet and therefore we no longer have beautiful flowers at the edge of the lawn!

We now tend to tie her in one area in the mornings so she can work on one particular area of grass and plants. Later on, once she is quite full, we release her to roam around the land (watching that she doesn’t eat any more flowers!).

One day my wife an I were in Colombo picking up some supplies for GlenMyu Estate and we received a phone call from a neighbour asking whether our cow was at the estate. We were confident that she was but decided to check with one of the staff.

He was confident as well …..until he had a look at the area he thought she was. Of course, she wasn’t there and had escaped.

Fortunately she was returned to us by our neighbour.

How did she escape my Dear Watson?

We have fencing around GlenMyu Estate so we were perplexed on how Maali had escaped. It turned out that the gate that the staff use was left open and Maali found her escape!

Now the staff ensure that the gate is closed!

The second time was more scary

Maali started developing lumps on her skin and started losing weight. A home visit by the vet diagnosed the problem as “Lump Skin Disease”. The vet gave her an injection and told us that there was not medicine in Sri Lanka to treat the problem. However there was hope that may get through this and survive, but no guarantee.

We were extremely worried. A search on the internet didn’t help (which can often happen).

Fortunately we have some good friends that suggested that we try to treat Maali with a herbal remedy and they gave us the recipe to the potion.

Maali didn’t look great for several days and her appetite was low. Her favourite foods of Jackfruit and Bananas were of little or no interest. She was mainly kept indoors during this period as it was a colder and wetter part of the year and we needed to keep her warm. We continued with the medication over a few weeks and we were delighted to see that Maali started to want to eat again.

My wife and I had an important trip back to the UK when Maali was recovering and we were still unsure that she would make it. Daily updates were provided by Ruwanthi’s mother or the staff. She was continuing to make progress with the medication and the food that we brought in for her.

Whilst we were away she had been showing that she wanted to go outside and start grazing again.

We returned to Sri Lanka in the later part of October and we were really pleased to see that Maali had put on a fair bit of weight. She had some open wounds, as a result of the disease which were continuously being treated

Relief

A few days after we returned Maali was let out to graze for part of the day. She has put on weight and really looks so good compared to when we left for the UK.

Her character is coming back and she is now harassing the dogs again. Maali has not fully recovered however we have confidence that she will be back to her old self soon

Ready to meet guests again.

Maali is now accepting guests. Our most recent visitors have two delightful daughters who helped Ruwanthi feed Maali some bananas as soon as they got out of the car.

Being the petulant child, she of course didn’t eat them and I have no doubt that they will be saved for later for an evening snack without onlookers!

Visit GlenMyu Estate and meet Maali and her friends.

GlenMyu Estate is a boutique hotel located in five acres of the Sri Lankan countryside. We only have three bedrooms for guests and we are within an hours drive of many superb tourist sites. The tallest and second tallest Waterfalls in Sri Lanka are less than an hour away. Ella, the busy tourist town, is just over an hours drive and great for a day trip to see Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Rock, Ravana Falls and more. Our guests love to visit Horton Plains National Park and see the Tea gardens from Lipton’s Seat.

Where does the money go!

Your stay helps us pay for the maintenance of the estate, care for the animals and provide much needed employment for local people.

We are listed on booking.com and Airbnb where you can see our reviews and what our guests think of GlenMyu Estate.

For direct booking rates please contact us directly by pressing the WhatsApp button on our website.

The cow – a year on (almost) Read More »

Our Cow and a dog. Wandering around GlenMyu Estate. Inspires my though for the day

We got a cow!

Animals that live at our visit GlenMyu Estate., Organic, Our Animals at GlenMyu Estate, The Organic Garden at GlenMyu / By Mikeez

We got a cow!

In December 2022 we got a cow.

I didn’t want a cow however, my wife was determined to get a cow, so we have a cow!
If you know my wife, she normally gets her way.

We had several discussions over the last few years about a cow and I was adamant that we would not have a cow at GlenMyu Estate.
I had several concerns about taking on this responsibility. One of the main ones was the terrain which is quite steep in places. I was worried about a cow having a fall and breaking a leg. Also, I was concerned that we would start racking up vet bills if the cow fell ill. Many of our neighbours that have cows (mainly for milking) appear to have the government vet visiting them often.
The other main concern was that it was another level of responsibility that we would be committed to.

Organic Farming and Cows

Cow manure is an important part of organic farming. It has high levels of minerals and nutrients which are one of the best natural fertilisers used in organic gardens. Using cow dung to nourish the soil eliminates the requirement for chemicals and pesticides.
By having a cow at Glenmyu Estate we also do not have to use fossil fuels to transport manures and compost to the property reducing our carbon footprint.

There are many articles providing information on the benefits of uing cow dung/manure in an organic garden or farming. Home Biogas outlines these benefits.

Science Direct provides a good history and data about cow manure.

This cow is not for milking

At GlenMyu Estate we are happy for Malli just to provide us with manure. We just want her to lead a good, stress free and comfortable life. There is no need for Malli to go down the route to provide us with milk. We have plenty of neighbours that have cows where we can buy milk when we want to make ice cream or cheese. As Malli was premature she may not be able to produce milk successfully and we do not want to put her through that stress.

Eating our flowers

Initially we were really pleased with what Malli was grazing on. Having been confined to a small shed before arriving at GlenMyu Estate’s 5 acres, she was fed grains as there was no where to forage. It was like having a smorgasbord with the offerings at the land. She went from place to place sampling new tastes and didn’t stay in one place for too long.

I was pleased as she was eating some grass where I would normally have to strim with my brush-cutter to keep the growth at bay.

She also provided the manure that we were after for our organic garden so all was good.

Well, it was, until she decided that flowers were tasty. She managed to destroy quite a lot of the planting alongside the main lawn at the estate which had been painstakingly maintained by Ru and the gardeners.

Shouts of “Malli No!”became a new sound often heard in the garden.

Imprisoned - for part of the day.

In order to get Malli to concentrate on what we would like her to graze on (and protect our flowers) she is now tied in an area for a few hours a day. She does a good job there and is later released from her bondage to roan freely. There are still cries of “Malli No!”, however, they are getting less frequent.

We have come to the conclusion that losing some flowers is a compromise that is worth making.

Funny Cow anecdotes are starting to pop up

Malli has only been with us a short time but already there are some events that are making us laugh.

Papaya - No it’s for the chickens!

We normally give the leftover or spoilt papaya to our chickens. Malli loves Papaya.
Our Walli Amma was taking some Papaya peelings to the chicken shed but met Malli on the way. It is quite a narrow pathway and therefore is single file only.
Malli wouldn’t let her pass until she had given her some of the Papaya peelings! After a while Walli Amma realised that the chickens would be without their snack if Malli had her way. She dropped some Papaya on the floor and managed to slide past Malli and make her way to deliver the remnants of the fruit to the chickens!

A taste for Jackfruit

Ru was trying to take Malli around the pathway in below the house to graze on some of the foliage there.
As soon as she let go of her rope Malli went tearing off completing the circuit to where one of our staff was taking a Jackfruit off the tree.
Malli loves Jackfruit!
When Ru found her she was just standing by the Jackfruit Tree looking upwards. She wouldn’t move until she was given a chunk of the fruit!

Customer feedback about the cow!

The reaction from our guests so far has been great. They love the story and that she has been rescued from a dangerous situation.
Malli looks great in the environment and adds some additional life and colour to the Estate.

When guests have found out we have a cow they have immediately asked to see her and be “introduced”.

One of our guests had to say a last goodbye when they were leaving.

We have a great picture of one of our guests feeding Malli some Papaya. It was a special experience for both parties!
She is becoming quite a character
Malli has quickly become one of the family here at GlenMyu Estate.

A turnaround

I must admit that I have changed.

Malli is a real asset for the Estate and has become part of the experience for guests at the estate. My fears of Malli destroying large parts of our work and making lots of unwanted noise has not come to fruition. The main issues are whether we can keep “some” of our flowers and whether we can dodge the cowpats before they are picked up and added to the compost.
Unfortunately, during my brush-cutting, I have not seen one of Malli’s fresh offerings and been “splattered” which is not a pretty sight!

My concerns have been lifted

The main reasons why I didn’t want a cow have mainly disappeared.
Malli bounds around the property without fear or concern. I have been really surprised on how she manages to get up to steeper parts of the land when she forages.
She appears to have settled into the climate and environment quite quickly and despite being premature she shows no sign of needing a vet.
It also turns out that one of our staff has experience in looking after cows and he has taken on the main part of this responsibility that I was concerned about.

Early days - don't speak too soon!

We are still in the early days of Malli being at GlenMyu Estate but most of my concerns have been lifted.

Meet Malli, our chickens and our ducks

If you want a holiday with a difference in Sri Lanka, then maybe GlenMyu Estate is the experience for you. To find out more please visit our website or contact Ru on WhatsApp for direct booking rates.

We got a cow! Read More »