MY OBSERVATIONS
I'd read a lot about Red Polls producing small calves which then grew rapidly. But I had some people express doubt, as when an Extension Agent noted that "All breed websites claim that." Well, maybe they do all make that claim, but I've now seen it for myself. My calves were born with small heads and thin-boned legs, causing no problems during birth. But they then grew at an astonishing rate, remarked on by a number of my farm neighbors who have watched them grow.
I've noticed that each of my cows has her own mothering style. Some keep their calves in sight at all times. I have one cow who deposits her newborn in the tall grass as a deer does, and then leaves it, hidden and safe until feeding time. Another cow keeps her calf at her side at all times, even leaving her grain if she loses sight of her youngster. When left to their own devices, my cows wean their calves at about 8 months, but the calves clearly are ready to be on their own by 6 months or sooner.
When my first cow gave birth, I became quite worried about some engorged, misshapen teats. But they cleared up as the calf grew and developed a bigger appetite. Red Polls have bigger udders with more milk than most beef cattle and one of my neighbors, a retired dairyman, stopped by to say he thought one recently freshened cow might be getting mastitis. I kept an eye on her but she too was just fine after her calf's appetite increased sufficiently. Some cows have extra teats on their udders - small, nonfunctioning, vestigial things which are no problem at all and nothing to worry about unless you are going to show the animal. In fact, there are beef farmers who prefer to see the extra teats as they seem to be associated with high fertility.
I used to wonder, when I saw Red Poll photos, why some looked red and some looked brown. I discovered that although there are variations in coat color, they are usually minor and the main reason for the disparity in photos is the sunlight at the time the picture was taken. Sunlight glints off the cattle's coats with a lovely red gleam. Also, I've noticed that although my Red Polls don't get shaggy fur in the winter, their winter coats are more brown than they are in the summer - or is that just from the sunlight again?
I have noticed that calves are quite docile for their first day or two. Then they become skittish. This is a natural phenomenon which would have had the evolutionary advantage of higher survival rates. The calves begin taming as they grow older and especially so if you are giving them tasty grain or other treats.
And now that I've mentioned grain, I originally intended for my cattle to be all grass fed. That didn't last long. My cows had previously been field cattle and not handled, so I began giving them grain to make friends with them. I've continued to give them grain each day. Their main food is still grass or hay, but they love the grain and they love me for providing it. I get to work closely with them each day to keep them tame. It enables me to call them into the barn for artificial insemination or to tattoo a calf's ears. The way to a cow's heart is through her stomach. Besides, it helps give them that extra glow which has passersby stopping to admire their great beauty. I love hearing the compliments. Sometimes a cow will come into the barn with a happy, playful dance to her step, overjoyed to be getting a small bowl of grain and a pat on the neck. That makes me happy.
One caveat to the above paragraph: Being feed efficient has a downside, and that is that it is easy to allow the cattle to become obese. I've had that problem and had to put my Red Polls on a diet. I'll be more careful in the future.
My cows have displayed all the Red Poll traits I'd read about and desired, though it was and still is important for me to work closely with them on a regular basis. They have learned to trust and to like me. And I've learned to like them. They all have differing personalities, though those have changed over time and it would have been a mistake for me to permanently peg them. In other words, I've developed a friendly relationship with my herd and that has made keeping them a great blessing.