Post by kellyinco on Nov 12, 2009 0:45:31 GMT -5
Well, my instincts proven right (more right than I expected!), our milking days really ARE imminent (my post yesterday)!!! Like tomorrow morning, that is!
We got in the car this evening to go somewhere and realized, hmmm, that's strange, Claire never came in this evening for her dinner. Where is she? Straining our eyes to find her in the pasture, we spot a dot of a cow on the back 40 with a little shadow behind her. As we get closer we notice that the shadow has four little legs and it moves! When and how did that happen?! Claire had her calf!
Thank the Lord, Claire is a sweetheart and allowed my DH to get close to her and her calf out in the field. It was getting dark and we decided we'd better bring them both in. She let him pick up the little thing and carry him (yes, "him" but way too cute to care!) across the pasture to the stall while she followed. Then we scrambled around to find straw for bedding and shove some of that paste down her throat to hopefully prevent milk fever. He was still wet and she was still a bit anxious, which led us to believe that she had JUST had him. But he was already wobbling around and nursing and she was licking him frantically like a good momma.
Wow! I thought I had a month to get myself prepared. I started suspecting that it was going to be closer than we thought but I sure didn't expect it to be THIS close! I've been trying to pay attention to see if her vulva was swelling or if I saw mucus coming out or if she stopped eating or something. But nothing! Good thing she had it all figured out herself.
I just ordered my milking supplies two days ago so I have nothing! I don't even have jars yet. But I guess I have a few days left to worry about that.
A couple of hours ago she delivered her placenta (thankfully, after reading that last post!) and my well-meaning DH whisked it out of there and disposed of it. I hope it's OK that she didn't have a chance to eat it.
The calf is the LITTLEST thing. He's 1/2 Dexter and Claire's a jersey. But he looks well. Praise God for His provision in nature!
You'll be hearing from me, I'm sure, when I start milking in the morning. Yikes!
Kelly
We got in the car this evening to go somewhere and realized, hmmm, that's strange, Claire never came in this evening for her dinner. Where is she? Straining our eyes to find her in the pasture, we spot a dot of a cow on the back 40 with a little shadow behind her. As we get closer we notice that the shadow has four little legs and it moves! When and how did that happen?! Claire had her calf!
Thank the Lord, Claire is a sweetheart and allowed my DH to get close to her and her calf out in the field. It was getting dark and we decided we'd better bring them both in. She let him pick up the little thing and carry him (yes, "him" but way too cute to care!) across the pasture to the stall while she followed. Then we scrambled around to find straw for bedding and shove some of that paste down her throat to hopefully prevent milk fever. He was still wet and she was still a bit anxious, which led us to believe that she had JUST had him. But he was already wobbling around and nursing and she was licking him frantically like a good momma.
Wow! I thought I had a month to get myself prepared. I started suspecting that it was going to be closer than we thought but I sure didn't expect it to be THIS close! I've been trying to pay attention to see if her vulva was swelling or if I saw mucus coming out or if she stopped eating or something. But nothing! Good thing she had it all figured out herself.
I just ordered my milking supplies two days ago so I have nothing! I don't even have jars yet. But I guess I have a few days left to worry about that.
A couple of hours ago she delivered her placenta (thankfully, after reading that last post!) and my well-meaning DH whisked it out of there and disposed of it. I hope it's OK that she didn't have a chance to eat it.
The calf is the LITTLEST thing. He's 1/2 Dexter and Claire's a jersey. But he looks well. Praise God for His provision in nature!
You'll be hearing from me, I'm sure, when I start milking in the morning. Yikes!
Kelly