Post by canesisters on Dec 19, 2016 8:21:28 GMT -5
This may or may not take off... but I thought there might be a need (or interest) for it.
My first cow had her first calf 10 days ago. It seems like it was about 4 months ago for all the sleep I've lost and worrying I've done. I have asked a few panicked questions here.. to be reassured that 'it's normal'. I've done the same thing on the FB page. And I've driven friends nuts with my obsessing - not to mention Eva and the calf... There are hundreds - maybe thousands - of threads about things going wrong with birth, the calf's first few days, etc. I thought it might be good to have somewhere where nothing dramatic happens.
So if you have a completely boring, total non-event story about your calf - this is the place to share it! We want to see pictures of calf poo that means absolutely nothing. We want to hear about temperature fluctuations that are normal and no cause for concern. We want to hear about behavior that looks weird but means nothing (other than being cute calf stuff). Don't forget about the cow! Discharge that is normal and expected and not at all scary... lumps in the udder that would drive a newbie into fits.. and are gone the next day. Milking that goes according to plan and milking that goes completely haywire - but is really no big deal.
So here's my Dramatic story.. that has turned out to be totally normal and not at all as dramatic as I thought
Eva was FINALLY starting to show some signs of getting down to business. Her pins were - maybe - starting to look like the pictures. But no discharge or 'goo' or any other sign.
Then, a few days later
I come home to find a calf outside the fence and a frantic mama cow.
Turns out she did not need - or want - my help with the birth. And after all that preparing and stressing I had done.....
As it turns out - most cows seem to feel this way.
I'll admit.. it actually crossed my mind "Where did THAT come from!"
TIP - if he was mobile enough to get himself outside the fence.. he probably is not in terrible, immediate danger ..... but....
My attempts to 'rescue' him ended up like this
A TON of horrible scenarios ran through my mind - Eva was going to reject him after all the drama - he was going to get terribly hurt (the 3rd time he crashed through the electric fence in a tangle...) - the other cows were going to hurt him in the excited stampeding - etc, etc, etc,
But an hour later - no harm done "it's all ok!"
Spent the next several hours FREEZING in the barn waiting for that all important 'first nursing, first poo, first pee'
All I got - besides a cold - was lots of this
It's NORMAL - he's tired. And he most likely nursed at least once already.
Sure enough, around midnight (7hrs into THE WATCH) he got up, had a snack, went back to sleep.
It was normal, it was all ok.
TIP!!! If you feel like you need to know if the calf has nursed, take a warm wet cloth to the barn. Feel the teats with dry hands, then wet your hands and feel them again. If the calf has nursed, it is likely that one or more will feel slick.
Also, the calf does not NEED water. So if you're having to figure out how to keep water for the cow in freezing weather - don't stress over how to make it available to the calf too.
A couple of days later Eva and Carter had their first day out with the 'herd'. (I had kept them because of wet, freezing weather). More stampeding - LOTS of cantering around. I managed to keep my hands in my pockets and just watch. And they settled down in about 30 mins like it was no big deal.
All normal, not harmful.
So here we are around day 8, 9 and 10. And the calf-poo obsession kicks into high gear.
Poo goes from sticky, to runny, to streaked with blood.
Perfectly Normal - taking into consideration that he is bouncy, active, eating, and has a normal temp.
By the way, having to drag his "I don't wannna come in, I'm playing!" butt in the barn so his mama will settle down and behave for milking made it necessary to get a halter on him. I couldn't find one small enough so I googled and made him a rope halter. He is SURE that he's going to smother from that rope over his nose....
If anyone is interested, I'll continue to update and add more non-news as it comes up.
Hope that you will share your stories too.