Waiting for France to calve ~ things are going well...
Aug 22, 2018 1:10:31 GMT -5
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Post by Applelonia on Aug 22, 2018 1:10:31 GMT -5
France’s due date is today ~ August 22nd. No real signs calf is coming anything soon. I’ve been checking her every 1 1/2 - 2 hours round the clock for the last two weeks....I’m getting a little tired 🙂...and when I’m done with France calf watch no solid undisturbed sleep for me because then Daffodil calf watch starts.
It’s been a struggle with France the past two weeks ~ she ran out of first cutting alfalfa hay. It was beautiful, green, soft hay, sweet smelling hay ...
She now has second cutting that isn’t as soft and leaf filled. She’s been throwing fits and refusing to eat most of it. Picking at it and being very stubborn. It’s nice clean hay but it’s not what she wants. I’m hopeful for third cutting but the ground is so dry, I’m not sure what will happen ~ we need rain!
The hay she refuses.
Usually the horrified look of disbelief when she’s given the hay...
And when I tell her “Eat your hay France” and I start to walk away she rushes over...heartbreaking...the spoiled cow doesn’t understand why I don’t fix the hay situation....
She’s lost a little weight on the new hay, as she’s not eating with the same hungry appetite as she did with the first cutting. It’s not an ideal situation, but I’m thankful for the hay and in time, the stubborn cow should snap out of her hay rejection. I hope.
I feed her lots of hay that she picks though and then the rejected hay goes to Daffodil and the two heifers. I go through a lot of hay just trying to make sure her rumen is full by the days end.
The pasture is gone except for one of France’s favorite forage items ~ buckthorn...she refuses hay and then goes and eats buckthorn and comes back looking much more full from eating lots of it ...
France’s udder still has much room to expand.
I’d like to see more weight on her as she’s likely to drop weight once producing milk, but this year has not been ideal for hay, so I’m grateful we have hay and hopefully she starts eating better. I had a few flakes of the first cutting left. Gave it to her and she gobbled it right up and then threw a fit when I gave her the second cutting hay again ~ kicking up shavings with her front hooves, pushing the hay back at me, and hitting her horns on the stall wood by her head gate.
Last year she didn’t look like she was close to calving and then went quickly 10 days before her due date. So, I’m trying to patiently wait for Guernsey calf. Guessing it will be a bull, but hoping for a heifer. 🙂
It’s been a struggle with France the past two weeks ~ she ran out of first cutting alfalfa hay. It was beautiful, green, soft hay, sweet smelling hay ...
She now has second cutting that isn’t as soft and leaf filled. She’s been throwing fits and refusing to eat most of it. Picking at it and being very stubborn. It’s nice clean hay but it’s not what she wants. I’m hopeful for third cutting but the ground is so dry, I’m not sure what will happen ~ we need rain!
The hay she refuses.
Usually the horrified look of disbelief when she’s given the hay...
And when I tell her “Eat your hay France” and I start to walk away she rushes over...heartbreaking...the spoiled cow doesn’t understand why I don’t fix the hay situation....
She’s lost a little weight on the new hay, as she’s not eating with the same hungry appetite as she did with the first cutting. It’s not an ideal situation, but I’m thankful for the hay and in time, the stubborn cow should snap out of her hay rejection. I hope.
I feed her lots of hay that she picks though and then the rejected hay goes to Daffodil and the two heifers. I go through a lot of hay just trying to make sure her rumen is full by the days end.
The pasture is gone except for one of France’s favorite forage items ~ buckthorn...she refuses hay and then goes and eats buckthorn and comes back looking much more full from eating lots of it ...
France’s udder still has much room to expand.
I’d like to see more weight on her as she’s likely to drop weight once producing milk, but this year has not been ideal for hay, so I’m grateful we have hay and hopefully she starts eating better. I had a few flakes of the first cutting left. Gave it to her and she gobbled it right up and then threw a fit when I gave her the second cutting hay again ~ kicking up shavings with her front hooves, pushing the hay back at me, and hitting her horns on the stall wood by her head gate.
Last year she didn’t look like she was close to calving and then went quickly 10 days before her due date. So, I’m trying to patiently wait for Guernsey calf. Guessing it will be a bull, but hoping for a heifer. 🙂