Post by amandagm on Jan 18, 2012 19:58:45 GMT -5
Hi! I absolutely love all the advice I've found on here and decided its time for me to post. So here it goes...
This is Belle and forgive me if this doesn't work (I'm going to try to attach some photos). This is her first calf and we have had her with a bull since Dec of 2010. Poor little Dodger went to the big pasture in the sky (aka the freezer) because we thought he wasn't fertile. We've never seen the sneaky things act like she was in heat or even like he was interested. That being said I have no regrets as he is a tasty, tasty boy and apparently he DID get the job done. So I digress... About a month ago I was brushing Belle and noticed she had about 10 inches of clear muscus hanging off of her. I initially thought she must be in heat (for the first time and dang if we just didn't finish packaging Dodger ) but since then she has started to get a bag and I have bumped the baby a few times. Fast forward to Jan and she looks like she is going to explode and her udder is even larger but it still doesn't look big enough.
So finally my big question... How far along do you guys think she is? Its her first calf and I am super, super worried for her. Also can y'all sugest anything I should have any hand (supply wise) for Belle or the impending calf. We borrowed some calf pullers from a friend upstate just in case. God help us if we have to use them but I thought better safe than sorry.
Some stats on our "herd" which is currently just Belle.
She is a 2 1/2 year old Jersey. We bought her from a farmer who picked her up at an auction. He wanted her mom to milk. So we have almost no history on her.
The recently departed Dodger was a 18 month old Angus cross bull. He was a very low birth weight (60-80 lbs) and even at 18 months he was a full 6 inches shorter than Belle at the shoulder. We picked him because of his small size and hope that it would make her first calving easier.
I thank all of you for your time and any advice you're willing to give!! We're so excited and when she has the calf I'll post pictures. I'm hoping to be here when it happens but... well I am the definition of Murphys Law.
This is Belle and forgive me if this doesn't work (I'm going to try to attach some photos). This is her first calf and we have had her with a bull since Dec of 2010. Poor little Dodger went to the big pasture in the sky (aka the freezer) because we thought he wasn't fertile. We've never seen the sneaky things act like she was in heat or even like he was interested. That being said I have no regrets as he is a tasty, tasty boy and apparently he DID get the job done. So I digress... About a month ago I was brushing Belle and noticed she had about 10 inches of clear muscus hanging off of her. I initially thought she must be in heat (for the first time and dang if we just didn't finish packaging Dodger ) but since then she has started to get a bag and I have bumped the baby a few times. Fast forward to Jan and she looks like she is going to explode and her udder is even larger but it still doesn't look big enough.
So finally my big question... How far along do you guys think she is? Its her first calf and I am super, super worried for her. Also can y'all sugest anything I should have any hand (supply wise) for Belle or the impending calf. We borrowed some calf pullers from a friend upstate just in case. God help us if we have to use them but I thought better safe than sorry.
Some stats on our "herd" which is currently just Belle.
She is a 2 1/2 year old Jersey. We bought her from a farmer who picked her up at an auction. He wanted her mom to milk. So we have almost no history on her.
The recently departed Dodger was a 18 month old Angus cross bull. He was a very low birth weight (60-80 lbs) and even at 18 months he was a full 6 inches shorter than Belle at the shoulder. We picked him because of his small size and hope that it would make her first calving easier.
I thank all of you for your time and any advice you're willing to give!! We're so excited and when she has the calf I'll post pictures. I'm hoping to be here when it happens but... well I am the definition of Murphys Law.