About 2 weeks ago our last heifer finally calved and had a beautiful heifer calf. The momma was fairly docile until just before the calf was born. She became the aggressive cow. Immediately after calving I generally like to tag the calf and if it is a bull I like to make him a steer right away. But this heifer showed signs of being dangerously protective so I kept my distance. Wise move on my part.
Here's the momma and calf 8 days after birth. In cattleman's terms, she has a beautiful udder. Lots of available milk.
I can see even in this photo the look in that cow's eye that she is not to be messed with. But take a closer look at the baby - she's terribly thin.
On Saturday I moved the herd to a new pasture but the baby was not with the herd so I looked for her. When momma realized I found her she charged in like an angry bull elephant and I quickly got out. In a few hours I went back and the momma was on the other side of the fence but the baby was still in the same spot so I got the baby up, hoping the fence would protect me. She got up and without too much ado, momma walked down the fence to the gate and baby slowly walked through. I realized at this point I had made a tactical error and should have tried to get them to the pens, where I would be safe. The baby walked slowly, very weakly for about 90 yards and then stopped. She staggered a bit but stayed standing. Several minutes later momma lead her towards the trees but the baby got tired and laid down about 60 yards from it. An hour later she got up and was closely escorted by momma to the edge of the trees where she laid down.
In the meantime I tried to lure momma with a feed bucket which worked at first but then the switched flipped and she charged me. I scrambled out and thankfully the cubes fell and she stopped to eat them.
Later, I prayed for God's help and wisdom to get the cow to the pens. After it cooled off, I rounded up the cows and she fell in with them, coming straight into the pens and leaving baby in the trees. I went and grabbed the baby. I fixed a bottle of electrolytes and she reluctantly started on the bottle but quickly sucked it down. She should have been pushing 100+ pounds but was closer to 80. Dangerously underweight. I left her in the back yard and returned to the cows.
The cows were lined up, side by side facing the gate into my smaller holding pens. How was I going to get the momma into the holding pen without the other cows? I thought, well I'll just bring them all in and sort them all back out. I opened the gate. The cows stood there and momma cow circled them, came around to the front of them and walked into the holding pen by herself! Tell me prayers won't work!
I slipped past the cow and closed the gate. Then led the herd back to the pasture. I went to TSC and bought some colostrum and goat's milk powder for the baby. When i returned, I fixed another bottle and she eagerly sucked it down except for the last 1/2 cup. That made me very happy.
Sunday morning before church, I saw her laying seemingly content.
I tried to feed her but she didn't seem hungry. Instead she walked around the yard checking things out. I headed off to church and tried to think of a way to handle the cow. After church I called my son and he agreed to come help me pen the cow so we could check her udder. He had his 2 kids with him.
He arrived about 1:30. After a few modifications to the gates for safety and with barely any effort and no resistance or aggression, we had the cow standing quietly in the squeeze chute. We checked her udder for milk or mastitis and to see if she was maybe kicking the baby. All was good so we decided to collect a bottle of milk for the baby. And, we brought out the grand kids to milk the cow. They were super excited, but my granddaughter was a little scared but we assured her that she was safe.
The baby calf wasn't interested in eating so we made sure she was in a cool, shaded part of the yard. I was beginning to realize she wasn't going to make it through the night. Long after every one left, I tried in earnest to get the calf to take the bottle of electrolytes or milk. She could barely hold up her head. While she was glad to swallow and get fluids on her dry mouth and throat, she wasn't sucking, just moving her mouth. I just made her comfortable and went inside to cry. We try so hard to save them but they ultimately decide to live or they decide to die. Honestly I'd rather lose a cow than a newborn emotionally speaking.
When I look back on this past weekend, I see some good things - first, my grandkids got to milk a cow in an effort to save a calf. I was able to make modifications to a gate that I've wanted to make for several years. And, no one got hurt. And finally, I have some comfort knowing that I gave that calf at least 1 good meal. I don't think she ever got to nurse. Why? I'll never know. I suspect the heifer was too nervous to allow her to nurse. Perhaps with that big bag the calf bumping the udder was too painful.
And, I know that God brings us tragedy so we will appreciate the joy. Sometimes He brings us rain so we will appreciate the sunshine and sometimes He brings us sunshine so we will appreciate the rain.
PS - The cow? Well she will stay where she is until I can get her on a trailer to the sale barn. Hopefully she will be a great cow for someone else.
Here's the momma and calf 8 days after birth. In cattleman's terms, she has a beautiful udder. Lots of available milk.
I can see even in this photo the look in that cow's eye that she is not to be messed with. But take a closer look at the baby - she's terribly thin.
On Saturday I moved the herd to a new pasture but the baby was not with the herd so I looked for her. When momma realized I found her she charged in like an angry bull elephant and I quickly got out. In a few hours I went back and the momma was on the other side of the fence but the baby was still in the same spot so I got the baby up, hoping the fence would protect me. She got up and without too much ado, momma walked down the fence to the gate and baby slowly walked through. I realized at this point I had made a tactical error and should have tried to get them to the pens, where I would be safe. The baby walked slowly, very weakly for about 90 yards and then stopped. She staggered a bit but stayed standing. Several minutes later momma lead her towards the trees but the baby got tired and laid down about 60 yards from it. An hour later she got up and was closely escorted by momma to the edge of the trees where she laid down.
In the meantime I tried to lure momma with a feed bucket which worked at first but then the switched flipped and she charged me. I scrambled out and thankfully the cubes fell and she stopped to eat them.
Later, I prayed for God's help and wisdom to get the cow to the pens. After it cooled off, I rounded up the cows and she fell in with them, coming straight into the pens and leaving baby in the trees. I went and grabbed the baby. I fixed a bottle of electrolytes and she reluctantly started on the bottle but quickly sucked it down. She should have been pushing 100+ pounds but was closer to 80. Dangerously underweight. I left her in the back yard and returned to the cows.
The cows were lined up, side by side facing the gate into my smaller holding pens. How was I going to get the momma into the holding pen without the other cows? I thought, well I'll just bring them all in and sort them all back out. I opened the gate. The cows stood there and momma cow circled them, came around to the front of them and walked into the holding pen by herself! Tell me prayers won't work!
I slipped past the cow and closed the gate. Then led the herd back to the pasture. I went to TSC and bought some colostrum and goat's milk powder for the baby. When i returned, I fixed another bottle and she eagerly sucked it down except for the last 1/2 cup. That made me very happy.
Sunday morning before church, I saw her laying seemingly content.
I tried to feed her but she didn't seem hungry. Instead she walked around the yard checking things out. I headed off to church and tried to think of a way to handle the cow. After church I called my son and he agreed to come help me pen the cow so we could check her udder. He had his 2 kids with him.
He arrived about 1:30. After a few modifications to the gates for safety and with barely any effort and no resistance or aggression, we had the cow standing quietly in the squeeze chute. We checked her udder for milk or mastitis and to see if she was maybe kicking the baby. All was good so we decided to collect a bottle of milk for the baby. And, we brought out the grand kids to milk the cow. They were super excited, but my granddaughter was a little scared but we assured her that she was safe.
The baby calf wasn't interested in eating so we made sure she was in a cool, shaded part of the yard. I was beginning to realize she wasn't going to make it through the night. Long after every one left, I tried in earnest to get the calf to take the bottle of electrolytes or milk. She could barely hold up her head. While she was glad to swallow and get fluids on her dry mouth and throat, she wasn't sucking, just moving her mouth. I just made her comfortable and went inside to cry. We try so hard to save them but they ultimately decide to live or they decide to die. Honestly I'd rather lose a cow than a newborn emotionally speaking.
When I look back on this past weekend, I see some good things - first, my grandkids got to milk a cow in an effort to save a calf. I was able to make modifications to a gate that I've wanted to make for several years. And, no one got hurt. And finally, I have some comfort knowing that I gave that calf at least 1 good meal. I don't think she ever got to nurse. Why? I'll never know. I suspect the heifer was too nervous to allow her to nurse. Perhaps with that big bag the calf bumping the udder was too painful.
And, I know that God brings us tragedy so we will appreciate the joy. Sometimes He brings us rain so we will appreciate the sunshine and sometimes He brings us sunshine so we will appreciate the rain.
PS - The cow? Well she will stay where she is until I can get her on a trailer to the sale barn. Hopefully she will be a great cow for someone else.
I’m glad somebody does though, I like milk and I like ribeyes !
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