I just got my heifer home last weekend after she visited the bull for breeding. We let her settle in a couple days, wormed her, and today I wanted to turn her out again. I figured Miss Carmel needed a bath, de-burring before she was let out. I don't have burrs, after MUCH hard work! She is in good flesh, actually gained on pasture while away. Just "more" to her now!
AND SHE LOST HER FACE WARTS! They appear to have just disappeared! Had a huge one beside her eye that I had some new remedies to try on. Now no scabs, no scars, no big, lumpy warts like when she departed!!
She has been a bit shy here in her stall, since she was not handled while gone. However she led right along to the wash rack. She got mildly (for her) upset about being sprayed, but overall was VERY good. She responded well to moving sideways instead of ignoring directions. She put her head up for neck rubbing with brush, did NOT throw herself around as she did during other baths.
She did not want her tail combed, but actually let me do the combing of burrs out after only a FEW minutes of work to get hold of the tail. I did use cream rinse to unsnarl the hair, burrs slid out fast! I got the burrs out of her ears pretty easy too, when she didn't like her ears handled before. She allowed herself to be touched all over with brush, scraper, face got washed well with shampoo and brushed, rinsed with warm-water hose. She stood good for that hose on the face, water running off, such a surprise! Actually she was not difficult as I expected after such a long time with no handling.
Do bred heifers settle a lot?? Get more accepting, easier to handle? I have heard they do, just comments from others. This is a radical change from her lively behaviour before going to be bred. She is usually pretty managable, but gets notions at times. I could really like this "more settled" heifer a lot! Daughter said she was rather difficult to catch for bringing into the barn, even with a drag rope. Will have to work on that part some more. We don't have the 4-H calf now, he was always first and she wanted to be with him. She just has a lamb friend now, doesn't like him.
So this might be another chapter in my "cow keeping" experiences.
AND SHE LOST HER FACE WARTS! They appear to have just disappeared! Had a huge one beside her eye that I had some new remedies to try on. Now no scabs, no scars, no big, lumpy warts like when she departed!!
She has been a bit shy here in her stall, since she was not handled while gone. However she led right along to the wash rack. She got mildly (for her) upset about being sprayed, but overall was VERY good. She responded well to moving sideways instead of ignoring directions. She put her head up for neck rubbing with brush, did NOT throw herself around as she did during other baths.
She did not want her tail combed, but actually let me do the combing of burrs out after only a FEW minutes of work to get hold of the tail. I did use cream rinse to unsnarl the hair, burrs slid out fast! I got the burrs out of her ears pretty easy too, when she didn't like her ears handled before. She allowed herself to be touched all over with brush, scraper, face got washed well with shampoo and brushed, rinsed with warm-water hose. She stood good for that hose on the face, water running off, such a surprise! Actually she was not difficult as I expected after such a long time with no handling.
Do bred heifers settle a lot?? Get more accepting, easier to handle? I have heard they do, just comments from others. This is a radical change from her lively behaviour before going to be bred. She is usually pretty managable, but gets notions at times. I could really like this "more settled" heifer a lot! Daughter said she was rather difficult to catch for bringing into the barn, even with a drag rope. Will have to work on that part some more. We don't have the 4-H calf now, he was always first and she wanted to be with him. She just has a lamb friend now, doesn't like him.
So this might be another chapter in my "cow keeping" experiences.
