Post by Tamara on Nov 4, 2016 20:24:10 GMT -5
I am so excited to finally be sharing this news with everyone!
Yesterday I received confirmation via blood test - both Tallulah and Arwen are bred!
What a journey it has been just to get to this point! It definitely felt like the odds were stacked against me - especially with the failed attempts at breeding Tallulah in the past, and then the total lack of success finding someone to AI. Finally I bought my galloway bull Fred, and I have to say I am so happy I went ahead with that decision. From my observations he bred both girls on their first heats, within a few weeks of arriving, which means both are due in June next year!
Even just getting them tested has proved to be a challenge in itself though - first the vet sold me incorrect tubes, then the company had trouble charging my card which delayed the shipment of proper tubes, then I finally managed to get the blood drawn on the 23rd (which involved several failed attempts and my cows were NOT happy with me). THEN I was sure the tubes got lost in the post but luckily they turned up over a week later... so now, almost two weeks after drawing the blood, I finally have the results. Phew! Of course I was pretty darn sure they were both bred, but I tell you what, to get official confirmation after everything I have been through is so comforting.
I really can't describe how excited I am! By the time she calves, Tallulah will have had a tremendous 4 year continuous lactation. It will be both her and Arwen's 2nd calf.
Now I just have to test Nimue, who will be 11 months old this month... I did try but failed to get a sample of her blood at the same time as the others. She's small and I need better restraint for her in my stanchion. I have not seen her cycle but she could have been sneaky about it and since Fred seems to be very efficient, there's always a chance. I'm hoping of course that she's not bred at her age. In the meantime I will be separating Fred into another paddock ASAP and will wait until Nimue has grown up a bit more to breed her. Hopefully she will fill out once the grass comes in as she seems to me to be on the small side for 11 months.
Yesterday I received confirmation via blood test - both Tallulah and Arwen are bred!
What a journey it has been just to get to this point! It definitely felt like the odds were stacked against me - especially with the failed attempts at breeding Tallulah in the past, and then the total lack of success finding someone to AI. Finally I bought my galloway bull Fred, and I have to say I am so happy I went ahead with that decision. From my observations he bred both girls on their first heats, within a few weeks of arriving, which means both are due in June next year!
Even just getting them tested has proved to be a challenge in itself though - first the vet sold me incorrect tubes, then the company had trouble charging my card which delayed the shipment of proper tubes, then I finally managed to get the blood drawn on the 23rd (which involved several failed attempts and my cows were NOT happy with me). THEN I was sure the tubes got lost in the post but luckily they turned up over a week later... so now, almost two weeks after drawing the blood, I finally have the results. Phew! Of course I was pretty darn sure they were both bred, but I tell you what, to get official confirmation after everything I have been through is so comforting.
I really can't describe how excited I am! By the time she calves, Tallulah will have had a tremendous 4 year continuous lactation. It will be both her and Arwen's 2nd calf.
Now I just have to test Nimue, who will be 11 months old this month... I did try but failed to get a sample of her blood at the same time as the others. She's small and I need better restraint for her in my stanchion. I have not seen her cycle but she could have been sneaky about it and since Fred seems to be very efficient, there's always a chance. I'm hoping of course that she's not bred at her age. In the meantime I will be separating Fred into another paddock ASAP and will wait until Nimue has grown up a bit more to breed her. Hopefully she will fill out once the grass comes in as she seems to me to be on the small side for 11 months.