Wehner Homestead 2019 Calving

Wehner Homestead · Mar 5, 2019

Sydney could calve any time but looks to have about a week left.

RollingAcres · Mar 6, 2019

Wehner Homestead said:
Maddie calved Sunday morning. It was a good thing DH was there to pull the sac off the calf’s face. We got a healthy bull calf that likes to eat! He’s an awesome grey color and has so much hair! DS named him Jonah in keeping with our Biblical theme. I’m adding lots of pics of the little guy. I’ll put them in chronological order. (I’m a little enamored with him!)

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These are from today. Maddie hasn’t fully passed her afterbirth so while we are treating and monitoring for infection, she and Jonah get to hang out in the barn, out of the wind.
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(My attempt at showing his hair length.)
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Awww I really love his grey color! He is so cute! :love

Wehner Homestead · Mar 6, 2019

More Calving excitement...I’m glad we induced Ember! She had her calf 25 hrs after I gave the injections. (Supposedly if they deliver within 24 hrs, the meds has no effect. Since she’s so close to the cutoff, I’m not sure which happened.) Longer would’ve given us a bigger calf and more difficulty with the birth. Things were tight. His leg bones had quite a circumference. Correct presentation. DH watched her push for 1/2 hr. She rolled on her side several times. Sac was intact and partially delivered, could see one hoof and tongue. I was able to palpate the other hoof just barely inside to know that we were prepared to dive. Other problem was where she laid. Her butt was basically against the barn wall. I was sitting behind her, wedged in, putting the pulling chains on. We were able to get a single wrap, advance calf out just a bit and get a second wrap in for better leverage and less damage. We were able to get calf halfway. Bad stopping point! Angle was all wrong. No way to pull calf without injuring it. Ember wouldn’t stand. I shoved her back legs under her and started to rock her to the other side. (Similar to changing positions on a down cow.) She jumped up! Pulled calf rest of way while she was standing. Our two daughters alternated between cheering us on, stressing in a fright, and yelling at us to get the calf out. Ember was stunned at first and sat like a dog and stared into space. DH used a piece of straw to tickle the little nose to help clear it (I’d already sweeped his mouth clear with my finger and covered the puddle with straw to keep him from sucking it back up.) and I got the chains off. I pulled my hoodie off and had DH dry the calf with it. I had my carrhart off to work and put it back on since I wasn’t up to my elbow. Ember came around and stood up shakily. Took her a few but she got more steady as time passed and was fine by the time I headed for the house. Little man took a tad longer than I like to try to stand but mastered it fast. He was jumping around less than 2 hrs after his arrival. The kids named him Daniel. I agree that he definitely survived the lions’ den between working in a small space along the wall and him being stuck. He’s a really neat blue Roan.

Under heat lamps to get warm and dry. (Secured to gate.) Ended up taking some towels out to help dry him. Ember was having trouble focusing.

Mostly dry and about the time he successfully nursed.

RollingAcres · Mar 7, 2019

That's quite some excitement alright. So glad Daniel is doing well!

Wehner Homestead · Mar 7, 2019

RollingAcres said:
That's quite some excitement alright. So glad Daniel is doing well!

DH and I both just crashed last night. We talked about how much of a relief it was that he was here and they are both fine. We’d been getting up through the night for more than a week to check on her and he’d been driving home on his lunch when I was working so she was getting checked through the day. This calf is fourth generation we raised from that line. To say that he’s special is an understatement. His coloring appearing as he dried is just a plus. DH took an adorable video of him jumping around last night. I doubt I can get it uploaded though.

farmerjan · Mar 7, 2019

Congrats on getting him out, up and going. Nice to have a decent calving, and a nice calf with out too much of a problem. Assisting is one thing, a hard horrible pull is another. Glad it went as well as it did. Been a hard year for you.

We are looking to get going with calving here in the next 2 weeks. Have 2 on the ground, but the majority will be late March and after.

Wehner Homestead · Mar 7, 2019

Got some more pics of Daniel today. Have to show off his roaning. He will continue to get lighter as he ages.

HomeOnTheRange · Mar 7, 2019

Congrats on all of the new arrivals. They look like a great set of calves!

Wehner Homestead · Mar 29, 2019

Wow! I’m way behind on pics and updates. We still have five calves. Four more cows left to calve.

Daniel on 3/8. He had to be treated for an umbilical infection but responded well with no lasting effects.