Post by Lannie on Aug 26, 2012 14:14:58 GMT -5
Boy, am I tired!
Maybe it's because Baby Helen is a little girl and needs more "protecting" than her last two bull calves, but Bandit has been SO fussy this time! She hasn't pooped or peed in the stanchion, and she hasn't tried to kick me (oh, she would NEVER!), but she HAS made a mess out of the barn, and she HAS scraped the inflations off a couple of times while I was milking her. What a mess. Of course before she went IN the stanchion, she pooped all over the REST of the barn, then tromped in it, pawed dirt up over her back (oh, I mean dirt and POOP!) and made quite a ruckus, so when she scraped off the inflations with that poopy foot... Good thing I brought out extra water and wash towels, eh? LOL! I actually had to yell at her a couple of times, which I hardly EVER have to do anymore.
Last night I locked Baby Helen up in the calf stall so she was good and hungry this morning, and Bandit was good and full. Amazingly, however, and I think it was because Helen was in the stall and that's "normal," Bandit went right in the stanchion this morning, and tiny little Helen nursed while I milked three quarters. She's so adorable, she tries to bunt, but she's so little she barely taps Bandit, and sometimes she misses altogether and just bobs her little head in the air. Normally, I don't let calves nurse while the milker is on, but Bandit has been holding up the last two days and I wanted a halfway decent letdown this morning. She STILL managed to hold up a bunch, but I got a fair amount out of her. At least her udder was softer when I was done.
Tomorrow, we'll go back to the usual routine of milk Bandit, let Helen out to jump start second letdown, put Helen back in the stall, finish milking Bandit.
Poor Rich, I've been making him get up early the last two days to go out and help me because Bandit's been such a fussbudget. He's been on "poop bucket duty" holding the poop bucket behind her while I'm trying to milk. This morning, Bandit was behaving MUCH better, so instead of holding the poop bucket (which was fortunately never actually needed) Rich got to bring Helen out of her stall and get her latched on to Bandit. I think I'll make him get up early again tomorrow, and then I should be OK by myself after that. This morning, there was so much yelling, MOST of it from Helen, Rich and I couldn't even hear ourselves think. We were trying to say things to each other, but that tiny little calf makes such a BIG noise, we had to keep repeating everything over and over, louder and louder. I think she's noisier than a barn full of guineas!
Here are some more pictures, while I'm at it.
This was Friday. Cricket was trying to see her new little sister, and I think Bandit was telling her how sweet and cute she was:
Helen with her new face jewelry (it was too funny watching her trying to back out of that halter when I first put it on her, but she couldn't, it FOLLOWED her!):
Bandit said, "Eh, you're OK, I'm gonna look for something to eat."
And Baby Helen, having a snack herself:
Then, last night, it was time to go to her room for the night, and Rich FINALLY got a "dead calf" picture. I wish he'd been on the other side to get the whole "rolled up eyes" aspect of it all, but this was all he got:
Of course, Bandit thought she actually WAS dead! LOL! But then she got up, and we managed to get her in the barn at last:
I'm starting to enjoy myself again now that the worst of the stress has passed, but I'll barely be recovered from this when Cricket calves and I'll get to go through it all again!
~Lannie
Maybe it's because Baby Helen is a little girl and needs more "protecting" than her last two bull calves, but Bandit has been SO fussy this time! She hasn't pooped or peed in the stanchion, and she hasn't tried to kick me (oh, she would NEVER!), but she HAS made a mess out of the barn, and she HAS scraped the inflations off a couple of times while I was milking her. What a mess. Of course before she went IN the stanchion, she pooped all over the REST of the barn, then tromped in it, pawed dirt up over her back (oh, I mean dirt and POOP!) and made quite a ruckus, so when she scraped off the inflations with that poopy foot... Good thing I brought out extra water and wash towels, eh? LOL! I actually had to yell at her a couple of times, which I hardly EVER have to do anymore.
Last night I locked Baby Helen up in the calf stall so she was good and hungry this morning, and Bandit was good and full. Amazingly, however, and I think it was because Helen was in the stall and that's "normal," Bandit went right in the stanchion this morning, and tiny little Helen nursed while I milked three quarters. She's so adorable, she tries to bunt, but she's so little she barely taps Bandit, and sometimes she misses altogether and just bobs her little head in the air. Normally, I don't let calves nurse while the milker is on, but Bandit has been holding up the last two days and I wanted a halfway decent letdown this morning. She STILL managed to hold up a bunch, but I got a fair amount out of her. At least her udder was softer when I was done.
Tomorrow, we'll go back to the usual routine of milk Bandit, let Helen out to jump start second letdown, put Helen back in the stall, finish milking Bandit.
Poor Rich, I've been making him get up early the last two days to go out and help me because Bandit's been such a fussbudget. He's been on "poop bucket duty" holding the poop bucket behind her while I'm trying to milk. This morning, Bandit was behaving MUCH better, so instead of holding the poop bucket (which was fortunately never actually needed) Rich got to bring Helen out of her stall and get her latched on to Bandit. I think I'll make him get up early again tomorrow, and then I should be OK by myself after that. This morning, there was so much yelling, MOST of it from Helen, Rich and I couldn't even hear ourselves think. We were trying to say things to each other, but that tiny little calf makes such a BIG noise, we had to keep repeating everything over and over, louder and louder. I think she's noisier than a barn full of guineas!
Here are some more pictures, while I'm at it.
This was Friday. Cricket was trying to see her new little sister, and I think Bandit was telling her how sweet and cute she was:
Helen with her new face jewelry (it was too funny watching her trying to back out of that halter when I first put it on her, but she couldn't, it FOLLOWED her!):
Bandit said, "Eh, you're OK, I'm gonna look for something to eat."
And Baby Helen, having a snack herself:
Then, last night, it was time to go to her room for the night, and Rich FINALLY got a "dead calf" picture. I wish he'd been on the other side to get the whole "rolled up eyes" aspect of it all, but this was all he got:
Of course, Bandit thought she actually WAS dead! LOL! But then she got up, and we managed to get her in the barn at last:
I'm starting to enjoy myself again now that the worst of the stress has passed, but I'll barely be recovered from this when Cricket calves and I'll get to go through it all again!
~Lannie