Cattle
PRIDs
Sunday 19 June, 2011
Or Progesterone Releasing Intra-vaginal Devices, to you.
The vet came and inserted them yesterday. The heifers were a bit discombobulated but recovered to eat their feed before going back to the field. We hope that they don't "discover" each others' strings and remove the devices prematurely - that's MY job a week Monday. The vet's advice was to "pull gently but stand to the side as, in heifers particularly, they can suddenly ping out, and you don't want to be hit in the face." Good advice, I think.
Heifers in!
Friday 10 June, 2011
The vet will be coming next Friday to start the AI process by putting in the PRIDs. This evening, Dan and I brought the heifers in to the byre for the first time since they were turned out in February. Rebecca was doing the ponies, so she got roped in to help too.
I haltered them both; Dan took a bucket of feed, I led Breeze, who is the leader and a madam, while Rebecca took Blizzard, who's one of life's followers and a wee sweetie. And off we went to the byre! They were as good as gold.
Mucking out the byre - finished!
Monday 30 May, 2011
Well, the byre is now mucked out. It took me six hours, in total. It's still got some loose straw to come out to be burned and it has to be pressure washed but all the muck is out and the floor mats washed and ready for the shearing on Sunday. They will make a nice clean base for the shearer to work on.
I'll start feeding the heifers this evening, get them used to the halters, then start bringing them in to be fed in the byre. We'll need to rig up some handling facility for the coming AI - that will be in the byre - and, in due course, they will be milked in there, so might as well get them used to it.
Mucking out the byre
Tuesday 24 May, 2011
Last October, we bought our two Shetland heifers. So that we could get them used to us and to a halter, we kept them in the little byre. It's the old cow shed, with stalls and neck chains still in place.
We covered much of the floor with stable mats and it was my intention to muck them out daily, like horses. Didn't happen. Partly time, partly because cow poo isn't like horse poo - it tends to be much softer, at least our girls' was.
Anyway, since we turned them out in March, the byre has been left unmucked out. Even if we had a tractor, the door is too narrow, so it's a graip and wheelbarrow job. So today, I started it. I'm planning to do an hour a day until it's finished. Or I'm finished. At the end of today's hour, I felt I could do more but decided to stop and not sicken myself or do my back in. I reckon at this rate, it will take me a month.
AI timetable
Tuesday 19 April, 2011
Regular readers will know that I like to plan things well in advance so won't be surprised that I was sorting out the AI timetable for the heifers today.
I want them to calve during next year's lambing - if I'm getting up to check sheep, I can check cows at the same time. So the AI date - Day 0 - will be Tuesday 28th June. That should give a calving date of Saturday 7th April, if they stick to the agreed timetable.
We're using AI and PRIDS / hormone injections, so Day -12, the vet will insert the PRID, Day -4, he'll inject prostraglandin and on Day -2, I will remove the PRIDs (deep joy). If they aren't seen to come on heat on Day 22/23, they will be pregnancy diagnosed on Day 35 after AI (Tuesday 2nd August).
Heifers out!
Sunday 20 March, 2011
Well, we finally turned the Shetland heifers out this morning. We blocked off as many potential escape routes as possible, put the sheep in the south side of the field and the ponies in Sheepfold. With us and our helpers strategically placed, I opened the gate of the byre...
Well, they were a bit tentative then OFF they went. They stopped a couple of times for a look around then out into the field, kicking and bucking. Round the perimeter they went; the ponies were cantering up and down the track in Sheepfold and the sheep skedaddled across their field.
Pamplona comes to Barry
Sunday 20 March, 2011
We turned the heifers out this morning after 5 months indoors. They were very excited. I hope they've stopped running.
Beadies Comrade
Saturday 19 March, 2011
Two photos of Beadies Comrade, Breeze and Blizzard's new little brother.
Also a new photo of Cracker.
Shetland Cattle.
Cultured cows
Monday 7 March, 2011
We have retuned the heifers' radio from Radio 5 Live to Classic FM. They weren't great football fans anyway, although they did enjoy "Fighting Talk". At least we never inflicted Jeremy Vine on them. Now, this might be in my head, but I think they are calmer.
We're on a new system now where they get haltered and tied up for each feed - no halter, no feed. They catch on quick. Hopefully, when they go out, they won't forget their lessons.
Edit - 8th March. Will be writing to Classic FM to complain about them distressing my heifers. Went in yesterday and they were playing the "Toreodors' Song" from Carmen.
Beadies Cracker
Tuesday 22 February, 2011
I received an email this morning from David Smith, who bred our two Shetland heifers, telling me that they have a little sister. She was born this morning - David thought she was a wee cracker, so that's her name. She's a full sister to Blizzard, so a sort of cousin to Breeze, and is dun and white.
David says "mum and calf are doing well; dad oblivious."
