Arwen's Calving Journal - New Photos of Darion 01/07
Jul 1, 2017 5:02:44 GMT -5
treatlisa, elnini, and 7 more like this
Post by Tamara on Jul 1, 2017 5:02:44 GMT -5
Update! Darion is 2 weeks old tomorrow - time does fly!
I ended up pre-selling Darion as a bull. It has nothing to do with the vet cost to castrate - I actually put feelers out to see if anyone wanted him as a bull before I knew the cost. Lots of people seemed interested and everybody LOVED the look of him so I put up an official ad. A lovely woman put down a deposit on him. She used to own a British White cross bull that looked a lot like him. She has 200 acres and keeps a variety of cattle, and adores the unusual looking ones. She was also interested in Nimue (and even Arwen, if I were willing to sell her) but I don't feel comfortable selling them to a home together considering they are related.
I'll get the final payment and send him off to his new home when he is weaned, which I plan to do around 6 months old. OR sooner if he starts getting ideas about his mother or causing trouble, but I think he should be fine up until 6 months. I think it is great that he will be put to use making adorable little coloured calves rather than ending up as hamburger.
Things are going well with he and Arwen. I currently separate them for 6 hours and get 2-3 litres. I will be going to overnight separation soon. Arwen was losing weight so she is now getting beet pulp, barley and high protein calf pellets. I just have two more bales of stalky oaten hay to go through before I have room in the shed for new better hay which should help a lot. They waste a quarter of what I put out right now :\
Darion has learned the routine and runs over by himself to nurse now so I don't have to worry about dragging him about. I will still work on his halter training but I am happy that he knows what to do as he is getting SO big! Currently I milk while he nurses which is annoying - I've tried dragging him off after she lets down but the little bugger can sneak back through the gap between the rails. As soon as he is too big to get through I will be able to milk in peace!
I ended up pre-selling Darion as a bull. It has nothing to do with the vet cost to castrate - I actually put feelers out to see if anyone wanted him as a bull before I knew the cost. Lots of people seemed interested and everybody LOVED the look of him so I put up an official ad. A lovely woman put down a deposit on him. She used to own a British White cross bull that looked a lot like him. She has 200 acres and keeps a variety of cattle, and adores the unusual looking ones. She was also interested in Nimue (and even Arwen, if I were willing to sell her) but I don't feel comfortable selling them to a home together considering they are related.
I'll get the final payment and send him off to his new home when he is weaned, which I plan to do around 6 months old. OR sooner if he starts getting ideas about his mother or causing trouble, but I think he should be fine up until 6 months. I think it is great that he will be put to use making adorable little coloured calves rather than ending up as hamburger.
Things are going well with he and Arwen. I currently separate them for 6 hours and get 2-3 litres. I will be going to overnight separation soon. Arwen was losing weight so she is now getting beet pulp, barley and high protein calf pellets. I just have two more bales of stalky oaten hay to go through before I have room in the shed for new better hay which should help a lot. They waste a quarter of what I put out right now :\
Darion has learned the routine and runs over by himself to nurse now so I don't have to worry about dragging him about. I will still work on his halter training but I am happy that he knows what to do as he is getting SO big! Currently I milk while he nurses which is annoying - I've tried dragging him off after she lets down but the little bugger can sneak back through the gap between the rails. As soon as he is too big to get through I will be able to milk in peace!