Post by hoperefuge on Feb 1, 2013 19:40:57 GMT -5
What a surprise today! BoPeep's been getting ready to calve for a couple weeks now & I knew we were getting close, as her udder filled up a good bit this week....but I sure didn't think we were THIS close!
I cleaned the stall out completely earlier this week & was letting the ground dry out better in there before I bedded it again. I would have liked to give the parlor a good goin'-over before I got back in to milking her, but hadn't gotten to it yet.
Around lunchtime today when they all came down off the mountain was the first I saw her today. I noticed there was a big change overnight in her pin ligaments & her udder, but her teats were still wrinkly & her lily didn't look real big & flabby yet. I thought, well, I better get the stall bedded & start keeping her put up overnight, and went on about my business. About 2:30 ds went out to give them their afternoon hay & I walked out the driveway past the pasture to get the mail. Bo was standing there licking her side & I could see a small strand of goo hanging from her behind. I called to her, "so what do ya think Bo, do you need to spend the night in the barn?" She looked at me & mooed. Well, that's a bit unusual for her & I thought, did she really just momma-moo at me? Naaaa...can't be.
But after I got the mail in I went over there. She had joined the others at the hay rack & was eating & just looked at me like, leave me alone. Her teats still looked wrinkly & I wasn't even convinced she was totally slab-sided, and just a little string of perfectly white goo. Naaaa...can't be. I'll bring her in a little later. And went back in the house.
Around 4:00 dd went out to the parlor fridge to get eggs for the house, and came back in saying, uummmm, mommy, BoPeep has her calf out there. Gah! Your kidding!?!
Well, at least she had the sense to come in under the shed roof where the ground is dry...but I had the stall door closed because it wasn't bedded yet. So I'm out there doing this trying to get the stall ready & move her inside & hay in the rack & warm molasses water.
And I am SOOOOO stinkin' excited it's a HEIFER!!!!
I cleaned the stall out completely earlier this week & was letting the ground dry out better in there before I bedded it again. I would have liked to give the parlor a good goin'-over before I got back in to milking her, but hadn't gotten to it yet.
Around lunchtime today when they all came down off the mountain was the first I saw her today. I noticed there was a big change overnight in her pin ligaments & her udder, but her teats were still wrinkly & her lily didn't look real big & flabby yet. I thought, well, I better get the stall bedded & start keeping her put up overnight, and went on about my business. About 2:30 ds went out to give them their afternoon hay & I walked out the driveway past the pasture to get the mail. Bo was standing there licking her side & I could see a small strand of goo hanging from her behind. I called to her, "so what do ya think Bo, do you need to spend the night in the barn?" She looked at me & mooed. Well, that's a bit unusual for her & I thought, did she really just momma-moo at me? Naaaa...can't be.
But after I got the mail in I went over there. She had joined the others at the hay rack & was eating & just looked at me like, leave me alone. Her teats still looked wrinkly & I wasn't even convinced she was totally slab-sided, and just a little string of perfectly white goo. Naaaa...can't be. I'll bring her in a little later. And went back in the house.
Around 4:00 dd went out to the parlor fridge to get eggs for the house, and came back in saying, uummmm, mommy, BoPeep has her calf out there. Gah! Your kidding!?!
Well, at least she had the sense to come in under the shed roof where the ground is dry...but I had the stall door closed because it wasn't bedded yet. So I'm out there doing this trying to get the stall ready & move her inside & hay in the rack & warm molasses water.
And I am SOOOOO stinkin' excited it's a HEIFER!!!!