HC Minis - new pics pg 172

[chandab]

Tonight she wasn't terribly interested in her treats, but I had dewormed her earlier today, so probably just put out that I had dewormed her (she is very difficult about deworming, I try to make it as easy as possible, but she tries to make it as difficult as possible).

 

[AnnaC]

Oh the baby moos are just gorgeous!! Baybe is looking good too, I'm sure she will foal when she is good and ready - probably hanging on to make sure she gets you really frustrated, whereupon she will do a very fast sneaky foaling just when your back is turned!!

 

[chandab]

Oh the baby moos are just gorgeous!!

Thank you! And, I just gained another baby moo, another set of twins born last night, so another bottle baby. 3 was difficult, 4 is going ot be very hard. We have a neighbor with a dairy cow looking for babies to put on her, so we'll see if they are still looking and perhaps send 1 or 2 their way.

Baybe is looking good too, I'm sure she will foal when she is good and ready - probably hanging on to make sure she gets you really frustrated, whereupon she will do a very fast sneaky foaling just when your back is turned!!

Of course she will, that's what they all do. I'm working on getting up some fencing for summer pasture, so perhaps if I get her out on some grass every day, she'll think harder about foaling. My summer mini pasture is the hay yard the rest of hte year, and it doesn't have any fencing, so I have to put up the electric or portable panels.

 

[MeganH]

Those baby moos are so cute. They look like a handful!

 

[bannerminis]

I LOVE the baby Moos they are just so precious

 

[chandab]

My husband has always pulled one calf of twins; he never said why, but I guess, its easier to keep track of the calves out to pasture if there is just one per cow. We send cows out to 2-5 different summer pastures, so easier to keep them paired up if its just pairs to work with. And, our beef cows don't seem to have enough milk to support more than one calf on dryland prairie pastures, with a few exceptions that seem to have more than enough.

I really wish he'd have left a couple on the cows as twins, but this is how he has always done it, so its what we still do. We could have used all these twins last year, when we had more losses due to bad weather and a couple other problems. At least, I convinced him to leave the surprise calf on his lame mom for now; she was supposed to be hamburger, but I guess that's postponed for now.

They aren't really that bad, especially now that the first three are on the bottle good and we have a routine, its mostly just time consuming (and expensive). [Milk replacer is very expensive.] I'm trying to get the first 3 started on creep feed, but only one has any interest, the other two just make faces and spit it out. :arg!

We'll keep working at it, and see how it goes.

 

[Eagle]

At least, I convinced him to leave the surprise calf on his lame mom for now; she was supposed to be hamburger, but I guess that's postponed for now.

 

[chandab]

If you missed the previous post (at least I think I mentioned him), he was born on April 1. How's that for an April Fool's joke?

 

[Eagle]

Did you call him Big Mac? ROFL

 

[AnnaC]

You crazy lot!!

Years ago when we had dairy cows, the calves were obviously removed from their Mums after they were several days old (we then raised them on milk feed and later weaner pellets, so I do know what you are going through!), but we had one sweet elderly Friesian cow who just loved calves, so once she had her own calf at foot we would bring her into a stable with her calf and give the new babies to her once they left their Mommas. They stayed in over the nights but spent the days out in her own private field. At one time she had 10 babies trailing around after her, bless her, and they all got some milk to drink, plus loads of washing and loving from their adoptive Mum. (we of course helped by supplimenting their feed at nights when they were all in) She was a girl in a million!!

 

[chandab]

Did you call him Big Mac? ROFL

How about Whopper?

 

[chandab]

You crazy lot!!

Years ago when we had dairy cows, the calves were obviously removed from their Mums after they were several days old (we then raised them on milk feed and later weaner pellets, so I do know what you are going through!), but we had one sweet elderly Friesian cow who just loved calves, so once she had her own calf at foot we would bring her into a stable with her calf and give the new babies to her once they left their Mommas. They stayed in over the nights but spent the days out in her own private field. At one time she had 10 babies trailing around after her, bless her, and they all got some milk to drink, plus loads of washing and loving from their adoptive Mum. (we of course helped by supplimenting their feed at nights when they were all in) She was a girl in a million!!

Wish we had a cow like that, it would make my job so much easier, I'd just have to supplement what they didn't get from the cow, instead of feeding them all their meals.

 

[chandab]

Off to mix milk and feed the starving hoard. It was bad enough with 3 in the same pen; but Shayne decided the last calf should be in with the Three Stooges, so now even more difficult to get everyone fed and not get slobbered on. [she was in a separate stall.] Oh, and I only have 3 big bottles; and hte newest guy is about ready to graduate from a small lamb bottle to a calf bottle.

 

[Eagle]

The name is too cute!!!

When I was growing up, my dad would ONLY let us name the cows food names -- Sirloin, Rump Roast, Hamburg, etc. I just loved telling people we "ATE" our pets! You wouldn't believe the looks that got!

now it all makes sense

 

[chandab]

The name is too cute!!!

When I was growing up, my dad would ONLY let us name the cows food names -- Sirloin, Rump Roast, Hamburg, etc. I just loved telling people we "ATE" our pets! You wouldn't believe the looks that got!

We don't name many, but they usually do have food names, and not always beef names; most recently we had chocolate and Turkey.

 

[chandab]

Nothing new to report on Baybe, except she is getting pushier about her food everyday, even with having access to a good round bale 24/7.

I may have two less bums calves to feed in the near future, we have a neighbor with a milk cow looking to add a couple calves to the two they already have on her. so that would leave me with 2 bottle bums, one of which is currently under the weather; the last calf born has been acting like a dummy foal, lost his suck reflex and just dull; Shayne gave him a couple shots this morning (banamine and a long-acting antibiotic) and we'll see how he's doing this afternoon, we also threw him in the calf warmer as he seemed cold (I'll turn down the temp when I go out after lunch).

 

[chandab]

The 3 calves went through a bag of milk replacer since last week when we picked it up, each calf goes through 1# replacer per day, 25# bag is $39; so a bag is only like 8 days of milk for 3 (4 when the latest one is eating). The gal is coming to get the calves tomorrow evening, she already named the previous calf (I was mistaken, they only have one other so far), Smokey (she got it from my BIL, so we are keeping it all in the family

). [Her budget was a little little less than what we were asking for two, but I got Shayne to agree to it, so that I wouldn't have 4 bottle bums to feed.] I went out after lunch and turned down the heat in the calf warmer, he had a little bit of a suck reflex for my finger, so hopefully he'll be ready to eat a little something later (I'll go back to the little bottle and lamb nipple for him, despite the fact that he is already bigger than the other 3 calves, his mom is huge).

 

[Eagle]

Ah bless him, I am sending prayers he gets well. I am glad you have sorted the others out

Diane some more would be great ROFL

 

[chandab]

His suck reflex is improving, he ate most of his pint bottle about an hour ago; he pooed and its some of the ickiest, rottenist poo I've ever seen. Gotta clean up the calf warmer.

On a better note, Baybe has a handful in front of her udder and her nipples are still pointing towards each other; and she didn't get too upset when I checked her out, but did get the more pecular look.

 

[chandab]

My two little heifers went to their new home about 20 minutes ago; they rode in style... the back seat of a pick-up (with the dogs).

It is trying to rain, so too cold to ride in the box of the pick-up. I'm going to miss the little boogers, but it'll be easier for all, this way.

I still have two to feed. the little guy is feeling better, he sucked down his evening bottle no problem. I don't want to over do it, so will stick with the little bottle for another feeding or two, just to be safe.