Post by dohne on Feb 14, 2007 20:28:10 GMT -5
Hi there everyone! Long time no post I thought I'd drop by and give everyone an update.....plus ask some more questions! All the milking cows are doing great, we've dried Marge up and she was AI'd to a Guernsey in December (we don't know if it took yet) and Freckles is going to be returning sans calf the middle of next month she's going to be AI'd to a really nice jersey bull....fingers crossed for a brindle heifer ;D, my 3 heifers are doing really well, Jezabell is now 3 and is finally going to be put in calf, after she's been dehorned by the vet, to this bull (tell me what you think) www.semex.com/semex.cgi?lang=en&breed=AY&dist=0200AY00102
As is my other yet unnamed jersey heifer....any name suggestions? My other little Illawarra shorthorn heifer, Veronica, is now weaned and doing well. I've finally got a calving pen set-up in a shed, which a tractor can easily fit into. So here is my calving plan, feel free to make suggestions, I'm going to bring my expectant cow/heifer into the pen about a week before I expect her to calve and keep an eye on her (I may have a barn cam by then...) I'll probably let her out during the day if I don't expect her to calve, when she goes into labour I'll quietly observe from the sidelines (or in my house!) until I see some feet (or whatever happens to be coming first) then I'll quietly stand in the corner of the pen in case I need to give assistance, when the calf is born I'll pop it straight away into a small calf pen within the cow's pen, so she can lick, smell etc with the calf without it actually sucking, I'll clean up the cow's pen (remove soiled bedding etc and replace it with fresh clean bedding) give the cows rear end and udder a wash and milk out some colostrum for the baby, I'll feed the calf it's first meal (and freeze/store any leftover colostrum), offer the cow some warm molasses water and a bran mash (?? is this only for horses? Goats?) with added calcium and minerals, after everyone is warm, happy and feed I'll leave, returning to milk the cow and feed the calf at intervals. After 2 or so days I'll open the pen giving the cow free choice to come and go as she pleases. How does that sound? That is how I always treat my foaling mares (apart from the separation bit), including milking out some colostrum just in case, this is also how I'm going to kid my goats (except the CAE positive does), will this be alright for the cow/calf?? I've never felt nervous of one of my mares (one can be a bit cranky though) but I'm wondering if I might end up being chased or something by a cow in this situation, or are only some cows cranky after calving? Any way tell me what you all think. I'm also expecting some Holstein x Simmental heifers in the near future.......I'll be sure to post pics of them
Looking forward to your replies,
Nessa
As is my other yet unnamed jersey heifer....any name suggestions? My other little Illawarra shorthorn heifer, Veronica, is now weaned and doing well. I've finally got a calving pen set-up in a shed, which a tractor can easily fit into. So here is my calving plan, feel free to make suggestions, I'm going to bring my expectant cow/heifer into the pen about a week before I expect her to calve and keep an eye on her (I may have a barn cam by then...) I'll probably let her out during the day if I don't expect her to calve, when she goes into labour I'll quietly observe from the sidelines (or in my house!) until I see some feet (or whatever happens to be coming first) then I'll quietly stand in the corner of the pen in case I need to give assistance, when the calf is born I'll pop it straight away into a small calf pen within the cow's pen, so she can lick, smell etc with the calf without it actually sucking, I'll clean up the cow's pen (remove soiled bedding etc and replace it with fresh clean bedding) give the cows rear end and udder a wash and milk out some colostrum for the baby, I'll feed the calf it's first meal (and freeze/store any leftover colostrum), offer the cow some warm molasses water and a bran mash (?? is this only for horses? Goats?) with added calcium and minerals, after everyone is warm, happy and feed I'll leave, returning to milk the cow and feed the calf at intervals. After 2 or so days I'll open the pen giving the cow free choice to come and go as she pleases. How does that sound? That is how I always treat my foaling mares (apart from the separation bit), including milking out some colostrum just in case, this is also how I'm going to kid my goats (except the CAE positive does), will this be alright for the cow/calf?? I've never felt nervous of one of my mares (one can be a bit cranky though) but I'm wondering if I might end up being chased or something by a cow in this situation, or are only some cows cranky after calving? Any way tell me what you all think. I'm also expecting some Holstein x Simmental heifers in the near future.......I'll be sure to post pics of them
Looking forward to your replies,
Nessa