Post by DostThouHaveMilk on Mar 14, 2006 11:29:02 GMT -5
Well, I headed out yesterday with a calf halter and a plastic bag which contained one bottle of Calcium Gluconate, an IV Set, a bottle of rubbing alcohol (91%), a cell phone and my camera. I was off to locate Mistie who had not come in when dad had called.
She still had her calf. She had taken it and hidden it Saturday evening. Dad didn't have to go out after her as she came in on her own to be milked (good cow). He didn't think she was going to let down as she didn't act like she was going to when he was washing her...well, she overflowed the 45 pound bucket. ...well, there went taking only what the calf would need. lol The next milking she only gave 8 pounds.
Anyways, since she was a prime candidate for milk fever he was aware of how she was feeling, but she kept coming in every milking. She would come in after the other cows as though she wasn't with them.
The temperature dropped last night and we got the aftermath of those storms that hit central USA (hope you all are okay!), so that calf, if he was still alive, needed to come in one way or another.
So back to my journey. Dad had said he felt confident with me treating her if she was down for the count. I wasn't near as confident but I did have more sub-Q experience under my belt.
I found them down on th Island Triangle. Not a big surprise. That is a common place for a mother to hide her calf. Water, pasture, shelter...close to the barn so they aren't leaving the calf for long.
She was fine, just enjoying a balmy afternoon with her babe.
So I put my calf halter on the calf and we headed back to the barn for milking. I started taking a halter out when retrieving calves a year or so ago. After losing calves that I finally caught and then them being so spooked they aren't catchable for a few more days. After Calliope if I am going to catch a calf, I am going to catch that calf and keep it. So the halter goes on the calf. If the mother wants to run away, fine. She'll come back as soon as she realizes her calf isn't following, but a calf that age that has taken off? Not as easy to catch. It is also a head start on halter training. ;D
He's in the barn. Mistie looks likes she will be fine and no milk fever again. Y'all may not get those pictures for awhile yet the way our track record is going. Yet at the school they've lost three cows to milk fever that were treated by the vet. They wouldn't take my suggestion about one single bottle sub-Q...
Nope they would have the vets out and they were putting two bottles in IV at a time and those cows were getting that twice a day when they didn't get up.
So frustrating for me...just reminds me that they aren't my animals and I don't have a whole lot of say in how things go.
And just for kicks...here are our two steers and Elisif's heifer Electra.
Electra (12/13/05) is the bright orange calf in the back. The steer with the white speckles is Carina's (the Christmas Eve baby) and the steer on the right is Libertad's (the calf born 11/15 while I was in Kansas). Forgive the muddy area. Rain really turns the place into a swamp. They can get under shelter though and keep dry.
She still had her calf. She had taken it and hidden it Saturday evening. Dad didn't have to go out after her as she came in on her own to be milked (good cow). He didn't think she was going to let down as she didn't act like she was going to when he was washing her...well, she overflowed the 45 pound bucket. ...well, there went taking only what the calf would need. lol The next milking she only gave 8 pounds.
Anyways, since she was a prime candidate for milk fever he was aware of how she was feeling, but she kept coming in every milking. She would come in after the other cows as though she wasn't with them.
The temperature dropped last night and we got the aftermath of those storms that hit central USA (hope you all are okay!), so that calf, if he was still alive, needed to come in one way or another.
So back to my journey. Dad had said he felt confident with me treating her if she was down for the count. I wasn't near as confident but I did have more sub-Q experience under my belt.
I found them down on th Island Triangle. Not a big surprise. That is a common place for a mother to hide her calf. Water, pasture, shelter...close to the barn so they aren't leaving the calf for long.
She was fine, just enjoying a balmy afternoon with her babe.
So I put my calf halter on the calf and we headed back to the barn for milking. I started taking a halter out when retrieving calves a year or so ago. After losing calves that I finally caught and then them being so spooked they aren't catchable for a few more days. After Calliope if I am going to catch a calf, I am going to catch that calf and keep it. So the halter goes on the calf. If the mother wants to run away, fine. She'll come back as soon as she realizes her calf isn't following, but a calf that age that has taken off? Not as easy to catch. It is also a head start on halter training. ;D
He's in the barn. Mistie looks likes she will be fine and no milk fever again. Y'all may not get those pictures for awhile yet the way our track record is going. Yet at the school they've lost three cows to milk fever that were treated by the vet. They wouldn't take my suggestion about one single bottle sub-Q...
Nope they would have the vets out and they were putting two bottles in IV at a time and those cows were getting that twice a day when they didn't get up.
So frustrating for me...just reminds me that they aren't my animals and I don't have a whole lot of say in how things go.
And just for kicks...here are our two steers and Elisif's heifer Electra.
Electra (12/13/05) is the bright orange calf in the back. The steer with the white speckles is Carina's (the Christmas Eve baby) and the steer on the right is Libertad's (the calf born 11/15 while I was in Kansas). Forgive the muddy area. Rain really turns the place into a swamp. They can get under shelter though and keep dry.