Post by DostThouHaveMilk on Dec 26, 2005 12:41:13 GMT -5
I was actually right about when Carina would drop her calf. She finally calved around 8PM on Christmas Eve.
She was a allowed outside the barn for the first time in three weeks and what does she do? Takes off through the swamp to go and hide to calve. I found her on the Island Triangle and could not get her to go back to the pasture below the barn. She has always been an extremely stubborn animal that is near impossible to move without a herd and she was no different as a heavy bred heifer.
I went to the house to tell dad where I had left her because I had to go to work. I went back out because it was only 3:30 (and I didn't have a watch) and she had gone to the Chestnut Stump Field. I didn't go down to her then because I figured she would leave that area and this way we knew where she was at least. This is where Bicentia calved back in July. The same place we lost her calf and the body was never found and will never be found. The 7 foot tall weeds no longer have their leaves but it is still very dense.
She had passed her mucous plug back around 2Pm when I found her the first time and was having contractions at that point.
I went to work from 4-6:30PM. When I got home I went back out in the dark to find her. Dad was just getting ready to milk cows and he wasn't going to get out for another hour or so. We had present opening at my mom's that night and were supposed to be there around 7PM. I went out with a spotlight that only works for 90 seconds and my headlamp. I could not see Carina with the spotlight because of the sloped ground and the reflecting off the weeds so I trusted that she was still where I had last seen her. I went down into the weeds and started walking. I could not see her and was getting concerned (keep in mind it is dark out and all I have is my headlamp). I heard a cat whining so I looked in that direction but the eyes I saw were too high to be a cat, too large to be a cat, and too wide set to be a cat. It was Carina and it was her wheezing with a contraction that sounded like a cat.
I went over and there were hooves out. One was already dry which indicated she had been working at this for a long time. Which is not surprising. She was an overweight, narrower hipped cow. We were expecting a difficult delivery which is why I went out after her. That and it isn't exactly warm out at night. It has been warmer (above freezing even) the past few days though.
I thought the calf was probably dead because the tongue was part way out and also slightly dry. No nose in sight but both front hooves presented. i called mom to let her know I would be late and called grandma to tell her we would both be late (she doesn't drive at night anymore {she's 87} so I drive her to family functions generally).
At around 7:30 I was calling dad to let him know what was happening because I was ready to leave. However, as we spoke the *huge* nose emerged and then she had the calf pushed out to the eye socket (at this point it is a very time before the head is out and then the shoulders and then *whoosh*). So we hung up. By then I knew the calf was still alive because it was finally wagging its tongue a little and wiggling its feet a bit. It was *huge* but those hours in labor had stretched her properly. We almost never try and help a delivery especially in first time mothers. They need time to properly stretch and even then it can be hard for them. In any case, she got the head out and I helped the guide the calf out (didn't pull I just head up the head and hooves so they came out smoothly and not crumpled over.
It was a very large bull calf with spots like his momma. I dragged him up next to her head but she was laid out flat with her head tossed back. She hadn't moved since he came out and was just laying there. The only reason I knew she was a live was her breathing and her eyes were rolling. She didn't put her head up, didn't roll over, nothing. I shoved her head towards the shaking coughing calf next to her and she just threw her head back. I called dad and he came down with a sweater and a bottle with hot water. Carina finally sat up as dad arrived. I was a bit concerned we were going to lose her. Dad milked out three pounds of colostrum and during that time it kicked Carina into gear and she started licking the calf vigorously. Dad bottle fed the less than an hour old calf those three ;pounds of colostrum and we made the decision to leave them for the night. Neither of us had time (it was 8:15 by then) and dad had to go back and finish milking. Carina wasn't standing yet and neither was the calf. The calf had a full warm belly, a head start and Carina was alert and cleaning him. So we left them. Besides, Carina needed the 12 hours with her calf. She was a chore to get into the barn and with the use of her calf it would be easier.
I went back yesterday morning, put a halter on the calf and we hiked the 1/2 mile back to the barn. He was just a bit damp where he had been rained on but he was very vigorous and Carina was up, eating , and very protective. Especially when my younger brother showed up, she was ready to go after him. lol
We got her into the barn and I haven't found out how the first milking went.
I will get pictures as soon as I can. He is 3/4 Jersey, 1/4 Norwegian Red.
She was a allowed outside the barn for the first time in three weeks and what does she do? Takes off through the swamp to go and hide to calve. I found her on the Island Triangle and could not get her to go back to the pasture below the barn. She has always been an extremely stubborn animal that is near impossible to move without a herd and she was no different as a heavy bred heifer.
I went to the house to tell dad where I had left her because I had to go to work. I went back out because it was only 3:30 (and I didn't have a watch) and she had gone to the Chestnut Stump Field. I didn't go down to her then because I figured she would leave that area and this way we knew where she was at least. This is where Bicentia calved back in July. The same place we lost her calf and the body was never found and will never be found. The 7 foot tall weeds no longer have their leaves but it is still very dense.
She had passed her mucous plug back around 2Pm when I found her the first time and was having contractions at that point.
I went to work from 4-6:30PM. When I got home I went back out in the dark to find her. Dad was just getting ready to milk cows and he wasn't going to get out for another hour or so. We had present opening at my mom's that night and were supposed to be there around 7PM. I went out with a spotlight that only works for 90 seconds and my headlamp. I could not see Carina with the spotlight because of the sloped ground and the reflecting off the weeds so I trusted that she was still where I had last seen her. I went down into the weeds and started walking. I could not see her and was getting concerned (keep in mind it is dark out and all I have is my headlamp). I heard a cat whining so I looked in that direction but the eyes I saw were too high to be a cat, too large to be a cat, and too wide set to be a cat. It was Carina and it was her wheezing with a contraction that sounded like a cat.
I went over and there were hooves out. One was already dry which indicated she had been working at this for a long time. Which is not surprising. She was an overweight, narrower hipped cow. We were expecting a difficult delivery which is why I went out after her. That and it isn't exactly warm out at night. It has been warmer (above freezing even) the past few days though.
I thought the calf was probably dead because the tongue was part way out and also slightly dry. No nose in sight but both front hooves presented. i called mom to let her know I would be late and called grandma to tell her we would both be late (she doesn't drive at night anymore {she's 87} so I drive her to family functions generally).
At around 7:30 I was calling dad to let him know what was happening because I was ready to leave. However, as we spoke the *huge* nose emerged and then she had the calf pushed out to the eye socket (at this point it is a very time before the head is out and then the shoulders and then *whoosh*). So we hung up. By then I knew the calf was still alive because it was finally wagging its tongue a little and wiggling its feet a bit. It was *huge* but those hours in labor had stretched her properly. We almost never try and help a delivery especially in first time mothers. They need time to properly stretch and even then it can be hard for them. In any case, she got the head out and I helped the guide the calf out (didn't pull I just head up the head and hooves so they came out smoothly and not crumpled over.
It was a very large bull calf with spots like his momma. I dragged him up next to her head but she was laid out flat with her head tossed back. She hadn't moved since he came out and was just laying there. The only reason I knew she was a live was her breathing and her eyes were rolling. She didn't put her head up, didn't roll over, nothing. I shoved her head towards the shaking coughing calf next to her and she just threw her head back. I called dad and he came down with a sweater and a bottle with hot water. Carina finally sat up as dad arrived. I was a bit concerned we were going to lose her. Dad milked out three pounds of colostrum and during that time it kicked Carina into gear and she started licking the calf vigorously. Dad bottle fed the less than an hour old calf those three ;pounds of colostrum and we made the decision to leave them for the night. Neither of us had time (it was 8:15 by then) and dad had to go back and finish milking. Carina wasn't standing yet and neither was the calf. The calf had a full warm belly, a head start and Carina was alert and cleaning him. So we left them. Besides, Carina needed the 12 hours with her calf. She was a chore to get into the barn and with the use of her calf it would be easier.
I went back yesterday morning, put a halter on the calf and we hiked the 1/2 mile back to the barn. He was just a bit damp where he had been rained on but he was very vigorous and Carina was up, eating , and very protective. Especially when my younger brother showed up, she was ready to go after him. lol
We got her into the barn and I haven't found out how the first milking went.
I will get pictures as soon as I can. He is 3/4 Jersey, 1/4 Norwegian Red.