|
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
  
Location: Midwest | So, how was everyone's weekend?
Mine was quite interesting... My husband was feeding cows for a friend this weekend (landlord for his shop) while the caretaker was at a cattle show. The landlord is out of town on business.
He went out to feed Saturday night to find one of their shorthorns calving....GREAAAAATTTTT.... have I mentioned we have pretty much no cattle experience, let alone calving???? Also, the regular caretaker failed to notify us any of them might be calving.... did not leave a vet's number, and he had everything (chains, buckets, colostrum) locked up in his garage.... Also this is her first calf...
Hubby is not a big livestock person, but has had some as a kid/teen... not cattle though...
So vet comes out, and they arduously pulled this gigantic calf out. Sucker's over 100 lbs. They ended up using the calf jack because the chains weren't doing the job. Poor mamma cow! He bagged the calf with colostrum and we gave them some time.
Sunday morning we come in to a shiveringcalf, so I'm rubbing him down while hubby sets up the heater... then I'm wrestling with him to get him standing... had to fight with mamma to get him nursing... all the while in contact with the vet and google for additional advice...
Thankfully the calf got nursing and walking on his own. Come to find out he's the new bull they are using for their herd's sire... no pressure there.... LOL
But hey, we got a crash course in calving... and we kept him alive. All's well that ends well! (Now to kill the caretaker...jk jk)
Here's the cute little bugger:
Edited by barrelracr131 2013-12-09 8:15 AM
|
|
| |
|
  Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
 
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | Congratulation's! You are now officially a "cow" girl (get it hehehe). |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | BTW, he will be named Pearl (I think) since he was born Dec 7.
I'm calling him Spot and PITA though  |
|
| |
|
 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Awww! He's cute! Congrats on being good Midwives! LOL |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | LRQHS - 2013-12-09 8:21 AM Congratulation's! You are now officially a "cow" girl (get it hehehe).
He's very lucky he's cute.
Also expensive, apparently. LOL!
And hardee har har |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Also...I have a new level of respect for all you cattle farmers out there. (Not that I didn't before, but this brings it to a new level)! 18 degrees and snow... what a way to come into the world... I asked the vet if they made calf blankets (like they have for foals) and he chuckled at me lol |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Nateracer - 2013-12-09 8:24 AM Awww! He's cute! Congrats on being good Midwives! LOL
Thanks! My husband deserves most of the credit (along with the vet)... if he hadn't noticed her not coming in when he fed, she would have died in the pasture. He saved the day! |
|
| |
|
 The Non Sky Diver
Posts: 9004
Location: SE Louisiana | Congrats on a live calf!!.. I've pulled a few and it's always nice to get them alive. Just a hint. Instead of wrestling to get them on their feet, rub briskly on the back just in front of the hips and they will make the effort themselves. If you ever watch a new momma cow washing a newborn, when they get to that area the babies add effort to get up. |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Komet - 2013-12-09 9:44 AM Congrats on a live calf!!.. I've pulled a few and it's always nice to get them alive. Just a hint. Instead of wrestling to get them on their feet, rub briskly on the back just in front of the hips and they will make the effort themselves. If you ever watch a new momma cow washing a newborn, when they get to that area the babies add effort to get up.
We were rubbing him down... but he wasn't really going for it... so the vet told us to get him nursing no matter what....then came wrestling... lol, Well not so much wrestling, but picking him up to his feet.
He eventually got the idea, but we were worried... mostly because we are inexperienced... Thankfully for a maiden, mom was pretty cooperative.
I'm sure it was a sight... he weighed more than me....
|
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Just a little update that he's looking good now. He's up and about, nursing off mom all on his own and doing well without any heat on him (we had a torpedo heater on him Sunday). So little guys doing just fine! Yay!  |
|
| |
|
 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Good Job!! What an education. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 256
| barrelracr131 - 2013-12-09 8:33 AM
Also...I have a new level of respect for all you cattle farmers out there. (Not that I didn't before, but this brings it to a new level)! 18 degrees and snow... what a way to come into the world... I asked the vet if they made calf blankets (like they have for foals) and he chuckled at me lol
Never heard of calf blankets but I do use little calf ear warmers lots to keep new borns ears from freezing, have a real cute pic of a set of twins sporting their little hats but I dont know how to post a picture  |
|
| |
|
 Chicken Chick
Posts: 3562
Location: Texas | Komet - 2013-12-09 9:44 AM Congrats on a live calf!!.. I've pulled a few and it's always nice to get them alive. Just a hint. Instead of wrestling to get them on their feet, rub briskly on the back just in front of the hips and they will make the effort themselves. If you ever watch a new momma cow washing a newborn, when they get to that area the babies add effort to get up.
That is what we did with our dairy calves. I swear those things were looking for a spot to lay down and die the minute they were born. We would rub on each side of their spine up and down and they would get up. If they still didn't want to get up I would get the blanket and my 7 year old out there, he had a knack for getting one of them to make an attempt at living. Never failed that if he took on the task of cheering a calf up it would make it through the night. |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | cristole - 2013-12-09 6:15 PM barrelracr131 - 2013-12-09 8:33 AM Also...I have a new level of respect for all you cattle farmers out there. (Not that I didn't before, but this brings it to a new level)! 18 degrees and snow... what a way to come into the world... I asked the vet if they made calf blankets (like they have for foals) and he chuckled at me lol Never heard of calf blankets but I do use little calf ear warmers lots to keep new borns ears from freezing, have a real cute pic of a set of twins sporting their little hats but I dont know how to post a picture
That sounds absolutely adorable.
I guess my husband went in and petted on him a bit (as well as momma) yesterday. I'm glad these are show cows and a bit like pets... I think I get too attached to things to be a real farmer haha... baby is doing pretty good, getting stronger despite the cold. It was -2 when I woke up. That's just horrible. lol
and @ pinx one of my good friends has dairy cows...of course I totally forgot to call her lol... but they used to put the cold calves in the tub in their barn office (used to be an apartment). Now I guess they bought a calf warmer. But they have 2000 head between two farms...i guess they had 22 calve in one day last week, a new record. I was like OMG! I would die. |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Just one last update that little cow is doing very well. Eating a LOT, hopping around his pen, and happily swishing his little tail when he nurses. :) |
|
| |
|
Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | barrelracr131 - 2013-12-10 10:54 AM Just one last update that little cow is doing very well. Eating a LOT, hopping around his pen, and happily swishing his little tail when he nurses. :)
Thank goodness! Now, when can I expect those ribeyes???? |
|
| |
|
 Veteran
Posts: 206
| Glad everyone is doing great! Just FYI we use the little foal blankets you can get for the calves. |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | LRQHS - 2013-12-10 11:07 AM barrelracr131 - 2013-12-10 10:54 AM Just one last update that little cow is doing very well. Eating a LOT, hopping around his pen, and happily swishing his little tail when he nurses. :) Thank goodness! Now, when can I expect those ribeyes????
Also... Thank you, I will keep that in mind (ETA I meant the foal blankets, lol)... since the cows are not ours I hope no one puts us on calving duty again anytime soon, though at least I know what to expect this time
Edited by barrelracr131 2013-12-10 11:38 AM
|
|
| |
|
The Non Sky Diver
Posts: 9004
Location: SE Louisiana | barrelracr131 - 2013-12-10 7:40 AM
cristole - 2013-12-09 6:15 PM barrelracr131 - 2013-12-09 8:33 AM Also...I have a new level of respect for all you cattle farmers out there. (Not that I didn't before, but this brings it to a new level)! 18 degrees and snow... what a way to come into the world... I asked the vet if they made calf blankets (like they have for foals) and he chuckled at me lol Never heard of calf blankets but I do use little calf ear warmers lots to keep new borns ears from freezing, have a real cute pic of a set of twins sporting their little hats but I dont know how to post a picture
I guess my husband went in and petted on him a bit (as well as momma) yesterday. I'm glad these are show cows and a bit like pets... I think I get too attached to things to be a real farmer haha... baby is doing pretty good, getting stronger despite the cold. It was -2 when I woke up. That's just horrible. lol
and @ pinx one of my good friends has dairy cows...of course I totally forgot to call her lol... but they used to put the cold calves in the tub in their barn office (used to be an apartment). Now I guess they bought a calf warmer. But they have 2000 head between two farms...i guess they had 22 calve in one day last week, a new record. I was like OMG! I would die.
While living in Idasnow, I had a job for 13 months as night manager on a dairy operation that was milking 7000 cows spread over 4 different farms. I had many responsibilities but the one that was most important to me was delivering live calves to the boss in the morning. I averaged 11 calves a night over that time period but that is taken from extremes. My easiest night was only one calf. My hardest night was 22, 18 of those alive. My strangest week was 6 sets of twins in 6 nights. None on Thursday but two sets on Friday night. All the other nights that week I had one set each. It was a wild year!! |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Komet - 2013-12-10 1:33 PM barrelracr131 - 2013-12-10 7:40 AM cristole - 2013-12-09 6:15 PM barrelracr131 - 2013-12-09 8:33 AM Also...I have a new level of respect for all you cattle farmers out there. (Not that I didn't before, but this brings it to a new level)! 18 degrees and snow... what a way to come into the world... I asked the vet if they made calf blankets (like they have for foals) and he chuckled at me lol Never heard of calf blankets but I do use little calf ear warmers lots to keep new borns ears from freezing, have a real cute pic of a set of twins sporting their little hats but I dont know how to post a picture
I guess my husband went in and petted on him a bit (as well as momma) yesterday. I'm glad these are show cows and a bit like pets... I think I get too attached to things to be a real farmer haha... baby is doing pretty good, getting stronger despite the cold. It was -2 when I woke up. That's just horrible. lol
and @ pinx one of my good friends has dairy cows...of course I totally forgot to call her lol... but they used to put the cold calves in the tub in their barn office (used to be an apartment). Now I guess they bought a calf warmer. But they have 2000 head between two farms...i guess they had 22 calve in one day last week, a new record. I was like OMG! I would die. While living in Idasnow, I had a job for 13 months as night manager on a dairy operation that was milking 7000 cows spread over 4 different farms. I had many responsibilities but the one that was most important to me was delivering live calves to the boss in the morning. I averaged 11 calves a night over that time period but that is taken from extremes. My easiest night was only one calf. My hardest night was 22, 18 of those alive. My strangest week was 6 sets of twins in 6 nights. None on Thursday but two sets on Friday night. All the other nights that week I had one set each. It was a wild year!!
dang! LOL
I could not do that job. |
|
| |
Interesting weekend....OT Crash course in Calving