Bonnie surprises us all

Diary

Posted: Monday 9 February, 2015

by Rosemary Champion at 8:38pm in Cattle 1 comment Comments closed

According to when we put the bull in, our four Shetland cows are all due to calve early May - Breeze and Blizzard for the fourth time, Annie for the second and Bonnie is a first timer.

At teatime, about 5pm, I started to feed everyone - hens, sheep, ponies, cattle - looked in the barn, and Bonnie was mooing and I could see liquid coming from her back end. I jagged them with Bravoxin on Saturday, without incident I thought, but the instructions do say to use in the third trimester. Ours are JUST in the third trimester and it was playing on my mind a bit. Two plus two made a hundred and twenty two!!!

"Oh feck" I thought, "Bonnie's aborting". Panic mode - phoned the vet; receptionist says she'll get him to call me. Went to get halters to tie them all up and when I went back, I could see little legs on the far side of Bonnie.

The "abortion" was sookin' for Scotland. Bonnie has produced a dun bull calf! Well, I was surprised and delighted - doubly delighted, I suppose.

Had to phone the vet to say "She's fine and has a bouncing wee calf". How big an idiot did I feel but at least Richard had the good grace not to laugh and Alistair said it wouldn't be the first time they'd had this. Made me feel better :-)

Off to look at the movement book and the medicine book. The four cows went up to Astwood at turnout on 15th March; they ran with Storm, George and Charlie until 4th May, when we brought them home (the three cows were due to calve end of May). We had Bonnie jagged on 19th May "just in case" but either it to too soon after mating or Storm's supersperm refused to be dislodged. Hence, a calf in mid February.

I've dipped his navel twice because the shed wasn't terribly clean and I'll do it again in the morning. But he's bright as a button; belly like a drum; Bonnie's cleansed and seems to love her calf, although she's quite happy for me to handle him.

Fingers crossed that both are OK - we're dead chuffed, I guess especially because a bad thing has turned into a good thing. Yay! Go, Bonnie. Photos to follow.