It's a Boy!!!

[amysflock]

Here are some photos of the new addition and his momma. I'm working from home today so I can keep an eye out, and it does look like he's nursing fine. He's pretty silly...seems to want to run/gallop/leap everywhere he goes, or he tip-toes! Momma has been very protective, but I was able to go out a bit ago and got her to eat some apples from my hand (normal!) and combed her a few minutes before she tossed her horns at me. She got a smack on the butt and a brief scolding for that but didn't walk off far from me, so I decided that was enough for now.

Now that I know what Sheila's hind end looked like yesterday morning, I have more comparison...and Bridgit's looking wrinkly like that today. She'll hopefully calf before too long!

Baby peering through garden fence, while Sheila keeps a wary eye on Honey the Foxhound, who was trembling with predatory excitement. Bad dog!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

He is a handsome little guy! Looks good and sturdy on his feet too. That means he is doing well nursing, if he wasn't he would be weak and wobbly. I think you can put those fears to rest. Mom being so protective is good. She will take good care of him.

 

[wynedot55]

now thats 1 cute lil calf.i love to see calves running an bouncing in the pastures.

 

[Chris aka Barney]

Congrats! what a handsome fella you have there!

 

[Thewife]

Way too cute!
He don't even look real!

Have you come up with a name?

Hey, if you crossed a Highland with a curly simmental(?), would you get ringlets?

 

[amysflock]

Ha ha, I don't know about ringlets, but I would be curious! Highlands are often a bit wavy, not entirely straight, so ringlets could be a possibility! (Hmm, would those turn into dreadlocks, though? Yikes.)

No name yet. I'm vacilating between Scamper and Porter (for porterhouse), and DH is lacking in ideas totally. We'll have another baby on the ground by next weekend, probably, so we'll need another name! (I'm horrible about naming things...it can take me weeks to make up my mind.) Then, of course, there's always the possiblity "he" is really a "she" (I haven't seen him/her pee, and mama is being too protective to allow any contact.) Oy.

So...now, tips on dealing with mama?? Yesterday I was able to get her to come over to me for apples (she called baby over, which made me nervous), and that was pretty ok. Then, because I had my comb and had already combed Bridgit a couple sessions, she decided to let me comb her. I was able to go cheek to butt down the right side (combed some of her dried birthing ick off) with baby nursing on the other side, but then baby moved toward mama's head and she decided to swing her horns around at me. I sternly told her "no" and gave her the look, and then she stood for me to do the other side. I got left cheek to about halfway down her belly when she decided that was enough and took a mighty head swing. I yelled and smacked her butt and ran her off a bit...but she didn't go far.

She is VERY wary...and it's sort of ok if she's not in our path to the barn (like right now she's got baby napping in the far corner and she's standing guard about 5 feet in front of him). But this a.m. she was standing and nursing right in my path to the barn, and even with me hugging the fence and staying as far as possible, she felt that was too close and charged. I screamed and yelled and swung my arms at her, and then continued on my way (heart beating wildly, of course).

So...how do you all deal with protective mamas? I can't let her out in the pasture until DH strings the dang second (bottom) strand of hotwire like I've been requesting for the past three months, otherwise baby is likely to go visit the horses in one of the two pastures behind us. I'm checking Bridgit's progress toward labor a couple times per day, plus needing to get in and out of the barn for chickens and hay.

Do we just carry a bigger stick and/or get a hot shot, or what??? I would think that if I allow her to get away with her charging behavior too much it might make her think she's alpha, which I can't imagine would be good.

Help!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Definately don't let her get away with it but, as to what to do I'm not sure. We take the calves and hand raise them so we can milk the mothers and sell the milk. Carry a big stick for sure.

 

[wynedot55]

she is being super protective of her calf.an until she calms down you need to have a club to ward her off of you.i can an do walk around new mommas.but i know when to back off an leave them alone.an i also keep my eye on them.

 

[amysflock]

It's official...his name is T-Bone.

We're heeding advise and will do our best to stay out of there for a week or so to get Sheila some time to be more comfortable...and hopefully we can come up with an inexpensive way to block the dogs' view of the baby. We have a hickory axe handle now to use in place of my tiny piece of lathe (!) for protection, just in case.

 

[Thewife]

I have an axe handle I keep in the barn in case I need it! (it should be part of the emergancy kit!)

I'm not sure how I would handle your situation, I have the room to avoid the overly protective mamas!
I believe it all boils down to trust, right now she sees everything as a threat to her baby!
When mine calve, I bring them food, and just talk to them. Most eventually figure out I am not after their calves and calm down, some don't!
If any of my cows threaten me when there is not a calf involved, the dogs and I run them off, just to show them who is boss!

Kinda like wynedot55 says, sometimes it's better to back off a little and NEVER take your eyes off of them!