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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:55 pm
by Colin
Within the last 30 mins we've had our first calf born. Mother and calf are fine. They are currently in a field with the rest of the herd and not in my shelter where I had planned to house them (with a nice bed of straw and hay). I didn't expect it to happen today. The weather tonight will be dry but cold at around -2c. Is it best to leave them out or should I try and get them in before nightfall ? I'd need to carry the calf around 300m and this will undoubtedly stress them out so soon after birth.
Colin
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:36 pm
by Duncan MacIntyre
Try to be sure the calf has had a good feed from mum, and they should be ok, certainly as long as it is dry, and other herd members are giving them peace.
Isn't your first calf exciting! I can remember our first, Burnside Holly, born in the very early hours of 14th February 1987. Linda and I had gone out to a Round Table do and left a teenager with no cattle experience baby sitting in the house, tolk him jokingly that he might have to see to a calving, because we did not know the dates, and lo and behold Holly appeared and we had to come home in a hurry.
Best of luck with many more.
Duncan
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:16 pm
by helen salmon
Hi,
We had our first calf in October. We bought two maiden heifers and had no idea one was pregnant until someone happened by who knew about cattle. She had Agnes a week later. I thought I had a year or so to read up on it all. It was certainly a steep learning curve. But everything has been OK.The daft thing is, even though I have been a dog breeder for 30 years, I assumed that her not coming in season like the other one meant she was barren! Doh!! How thick can you get? ???
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:33 pm
by Colin
Thanks Duncan it's a great comfort to have your opinion. Calf is feeding well and looks healthy. I've left them out tonight. There's almost no wind and a little light cloud gathering, so perhaps the temparature won't dip too much.
This is the first calf for his mum and fortunately she looks like she's going to be a first rate mum and is very attentive to him. The others have had a good nose around but left her alone after a while. I'm keeping an eye on our two steers who are particularly nosey.
It's a very special moment to be with a new born calf. It will be more accurate to say this is our first bred calf i.e. from our young breeding bull I bought earlier this year. In March we had two little bull calves from cows that were already in calf. So this one is extra special to us and I had hoped for a heifer, but it's another little bull.
Colin