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A Farm of My Own:  Life on the farm right now  |
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Pammy
True Blue Farmgirl
66 Posts
Michigan
USA
66 Posts |
 Posted - May 05 2007 : 04:08:55 AM
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Hello all, thought i should start posting and I guess this is a good of a place as any, since we own a farm.
We just started calving at home a few weeks ago, yesterday, Friday we had two born, a bull and a heifer. We have two of each now. One of the cows who calved yesterday was casting her withers, meaning her uterus was coming out after the calf, the vet was called and pushed it in and stitched her closed up. Unfortunately she has not really accepted her calf, I will watch them today, to see if she feeds the baby, if not I will go and get some frozen colostrum for the calf. And the mom will be shipped on Monday if she doesn't come around. Then it makes more work for me, to feed the calf a bottle for several weeks. But that is life on a farm. I am glad we are going to thin our herd. Usually our black angus are great moms.
Hubby and son worked at plowing the corn ground and we need to go over the hay ground again and maybe that can get planted this weekend, it is supposed to rain on Tuesday next week.
This weekend is our weekend off from our jobs at the farm and I have lots of things I want to do and lots that I have to do. There is always something!
Take care with your farming.
Pam |
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Horseyrider
True Blue Farmgirl
1045 Posts
Mary Ann
Illinois
1045 Posts |
Posted - May 05 2007 : 04:54:00 AM
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Welcome, Pam! I had to laugh at "casting her withers;" we've always just said she prolapsed her uterus. I hope she turns around and does okay, especially after the vetwork in her. Cattle are far more work than most people know.
I only expect one birth this spring. I have a mare that's due to foal in late June. She's black like your Angus, and the baby will be black, too. They're all black in that breed. She's a Friesian, but not like the dairy cows. 
Again, welcome to the board!  |
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mtngirl1
True Blue Farmgirl
51 Posts
Kimberly
Roseland
Virginia
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - May 05 2007 : 06:12:09 AM
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| Hello Pam. We are (maybe) going to get some cattle this fall. My husband wants Herefords for meat. We will only have a few. Black Angus can be funny sometimes. Goodluck. |
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ThymeForEweFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
705 Posts
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts |
Posted - May 05 2007 : 1:09:04 PM
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You can probably graft the calf to another cow if the mother rejects it. When another cow delivers you can rub a towel on the placenta, rub the towel on the calf, and introduce them. It usually works like a charm.
Robin
www.thymeforewe.com
www.outdoorwriter.wordpress.com
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psouper
True Blue Farmgirl
50 Posts
50 Posts |
Posted - May 05 2007 : 3:06:53 PM
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Pam - it's draining to nurse these animals, isn't it?
My jersey cow calved last Monday and had milk fever. I had to pull the calf - have never done that before -- and it took 4 days of nursing and calcium injections to get her back on her feet. It's Saturday and such a beautiful sight to see her out in the pasture again!
Thank goodness you had the vet. We can't get a large animal vet where we live. I've seen pictures of a prolapsed uterus - it's not pretty. Hope you can get her thru that without an infection.
Polly
www.favoriteapron.blogspot.com |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - May 05 2007 : 5:23:17 PM
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Pammy- Good luck with the calf and the cow. How many times a day are you feeding the little guy? I saw at one of our local hardware stores that also doubles as a ranch store, a bucket with nipples on it. So if you don't have time to hand bottle feed the baby or feel you would get too attached, you can fill this bucket with the milk or milk substitute and show the guy where the bucket is on the fence. Last summer I taught a week old calf how to drink from a bucket (no nipples) and it really helped since we were very short handed.
I hope the prolapsed uterus re-secures itself properly. I know they can be a pain if they don't heal correctly. There are some humorous stories about prolapsed uteruses in the James Herriot books if you need a sympathetic laugh after calving season is done :)
Alee
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Kathie
True Blue Farmgirl
2436 Posts
Kathie
Thonotosassa
Florida
USA
2436 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2007 : 05:55:53 AM
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wow.. I had a prolapsed uterus..very uncomfortable indeed....poor cow
In a World Where you Can Be Anything, Be Yourself.. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2007 : 4:04:25 PM
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Kathie-
You, yourself, had a prolapsed uterus? Ouch!!
Alee |
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A Farm of My Own: Life on the farm right now |
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Life on the farm right now
