New Calf

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:56 am

It is always fun to have a new calf isn't it!

Although her Mum seems worried half to death, as her baby runs about all over the field, poking her nose everywhere and licking an sniffing everything.

Stephanie

acrossthesea · Post by **acrossthesea** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:18 am

Hi Stephanie,
if you had been standing next to me at 1am yesterday morning on your knee,s covered in everything that goes along with calving you would have got the impression that I was,nt too pleased.(I had sent the wife to bed.) A big bull calf, it was a brute of a thing. Things did,nt improve 6 hours after the calf was born. The cow went down, she is a big bagged animal that always does her calf well. She got up 20 mins after the vet infused her he also gave her 2 bollus,s. Both are now doing well and I am a lot happier. Alls well when things go right.
Howard Hilton. (Hillhead Dexters)

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:56 am

Ah well Howard - if you look way back to last years posts this one had stolen the bull before I bought her and needed a caesarian at the end of March 08. So it does go wrong here sometimes too but I am revelling in the good times at the moment! :D

Hope yours is all sorted now.

Stephanie

nuttalls · Post by **nuttalls** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:39 pm

hi howard, i agree with you if you read my topic on monday after calves are born. panic,stress but all well at moment. a very nice friendly heifer, jordeth sunday

Buryhill Dexters · Post by **Buryhill Dexters** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:07 pm

Hi Stephanie

It is very true every new calf is a complete joy, we have had over 20 in the past month and there is still a level of excitment with every one.

Here is a picture of a little heifer calf born unexpectedly last Saturday from a young heifer who stole the bull and completely rejected her newborn choosing instead to try to stamp on and headbutt it, we haltered the heifer and made certain the calf got some colostrum and hoped that she would take to it eventually but 2 hours later she threw against the wall and knocked it clean out, hence she is now being bottle fed by myself & my daughter. we have named her "Petite Princess" and she is 1 week old today and doing very well

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 5:33 am

She's looking good now.

Is it worth tying the mother up and making her feed the calf twice a day? She may eventually let the calf feed on her own. After her hormones settle down, her mothering skills might improve. We had a heifer that treated her calf like a punching bag as well, she came right and is looking after the calf well now.

Cow fed calves always do better than hand-reared calves. Unless you're milking the mum and feeding the calf, milk powder is very expensive to rear a calf on.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Mon May 11, 2009 3:19 pm

Our calf was 3 weeks old yesterday and we are STILL managing to catch her every night - bring her in on a halter with her Mum in tow and pop her out the same way in the morning. Not much longer I doubt!

She is the first by our own bull and we are very chuffed with her, nice and chunky like her Dad.

Stephanie

mike skelton · Post by **mike skelton** » Fri May 15, 2009 12:59 am

hi stephanie, what size halter do you use on a newly born calf?