boothcreek
Loving the herd life
Well, the last Dexter Calf of the Season is born, and boy what an afternoon that was.
The cow is a first-timer so a bit clueless so that didnt help any.
Got home at 4 pm today, and immediately went to check on my cow, she seemed to have started labour before I left 4 hrs earlier so I wanted to see the new baby, well she wasnt where I left her and I couldnt see her ANYWHERE! Started searching in the usual calving spots the old girls use, no go, so decided to cut across the pasture along the small creek(2-3 ft deep 3 ft wide, only runs a few months of the yr) that cuts through the 60 acre pasture to search the thin treeline on the otherside.
Half way across I first heard the cow making, what I call - the momma-moo(that quiet moan they call their calves with), so started looking in the shrubs along the creek and I see her standing IN the creek looking at something at her feet(she found the deepest pool too, was about 2.5-3 ft deep). SO I am thinking ' well, crud, drowned calf' but to my surprise a nose stuck out just above the surface of the water, and really just the nose...... so in the creek I jumped good town-clothes and all to drag out the calf..
Not sure how long he was in there, but he was icy and not really responsive so I drug him on the driest grass in the sun I could find, gladly the cow is very people friendly and didnt mind me handling her little one and she would lick it(and me -ouch-) whenever she could and tried her best to get him dry and warm.
Called up to one of the neighbours to please come over and bring towels. I am alone at home of course, stuff like this doesnt happen when someone's home.
So the 2 of us rubbed this thing dry for over and hour before we decided to dare try and stress the cow and calf by moving them the 400+ yards into the haybarn. Got him into a super thick bed of straw and he had warmed enough to move his head and try and ly not completely flat-out.
Due to the lack of hot water bottles in our house we heated some grain pillows and surrounded him with them.
So about 40 mins ago when I went to give him a reheated pillow he finally tried to get on his feet(with a little bit of help)!!! Got him up and stmbling about and trying to get a drink from his mom, who I had to halter and tie to a bale so she would stop turning around to lick him. Luckily she is a very patient and calm girl, once tied she goes into total patient mode.
He had a good drink so I am a happy camper now and think he will pull thru just fine. Gonna check again around midnight, on the last check both of them were sleeping together side by side in the straw and he wasnt shivering anymore at all and nice and warm to the touch.
So here is to hoping we are still up and at'em tomorrow so I can make some pics!!
Nice little(BIG) Dun Bull calf.
The cow is a first-timer so a bit clueless so that didnt help any.
Got home at 4 pm today, and immediately went to check on my cow, she seemed to have started labour before I left 4 hrs earlier so I wanted to see the new baby, well she wasnt where I left her and I couldnt see her ANYWHERE! Started searching in the usual calving spots the old girls use, no go, so decided to cut across the pasture along the small creek(2-3 ft deep 3 ft wide, only runs a few months of the yr) that cuts through the 60 acre pasture to search the thin treeline on the otherside.
Half way across I first heard the cow making, what I call - the momma-moo(that quiet moan they call their calves with), so started looking in the shrubs along the creek and I see her standing IN the creek looking at something at her feet(she found the deepest pool too, was about 2.5-3 ft deep). SO I am thinking ' well, crud, drowned calf' but to my surprise a nose stuck out just above the surface of the water, and really just the nose...... so in the creek I jumped good town-clothes and all to drag out the calf..
Not sure how long he was in there, but he was icy and not really responsive so I drug him on the driest grass in the sun I could find, gladly the cow is very people friendly and didnt mind me handling her little one and she would lick it(and me -ouch-) whenever she could and tried her best to get him dry and warm.
Called up to one of the neighbours to please come over and bring towels. I am alone at home of course, stuff like this doesnt happen when someone's home.
So the 2 of us rubbed this thing dry for over and hour before we decided to dare try and stress the cow and calf by moving them the 400+ yards into the haybarn. Got him into a super thick bed of straw and he had warmed enough to move his head and try and ly not completely flat-out.
Due to the lack of hot water bottles in our house we heated some grain pillows and surrounded him with them.
So about 40 mins ago when I went to give him a reheated pillow he finally tried to get on his feet(with a little bit of help)!!! Got him up and stmbling about and trying to get a drink from his mom, who I had to halter and tie to a bale so she would stop turning around to lick him. Luckily she is a very patient and calm girl, once tied she goes into total patient mode.
He had a good drink so I am a happy camper now and think he will pull thru just fine. Gonna check again around midnight, on the last check both of them were sleeping together side by side in the straw and he wasnt shivering anymore at all and nice and warm to the touch.
So here is to hoping we are still up and at'em tomorrow so I can make some pics!!
Nice little(BIG) Dun Bull calf.
