First calf

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:55 pm

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

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:36 pm

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

helen salmon · Post by **helen salmon** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:16 pm

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? ???

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:33 pm

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