The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: Rosemary on May 25, 2014, 04:23:21 pm

Title: Our third and final Shetland calf of 2014
Post by: Rosemary on May 25, 2014, 04:23:21 pm: Phew, well that was a short calving period. Three days, three calves. Breeze had a heifer calf early afternoon - we've called her Sunny, as the sun came out just as she was born ;D
Title: Re: Our third and final Shetland calf of 2014
Post by: Ladygrey on May 25, 2014, 04:46:20 pm: Aww lovely, congrats, she looks nice and chunky!

will she stay dun or will she turn black like Annie? or cant you tell at this age
Title: Re: Our third and final Shetland calf of 2014
Post by: SallyintNorth on May 25, 2014, 04:49:09 pm: Again, a little hard to tell upside down, but she looks wonderful :) . Love the big triangle on her forehead.

Your clever girls have done you proud this year - and Storm too, of course!
Title: Re: Our third and final Shetland calf of 2014
Post by: bloomer on May 25, 2014, 04:56:15 pm: I said it on FB but I'll add it on here as well,

way to go Storm!!!
Title: Re: Our third and final Shetland calf of 2014
Post by: Louise Gaunt on May 25, 2014, 05:17:14 pm: She is lovely. Well done all, three more healthy Shetland cattle to keep the breed going good and strong!
Title: Re: Our third and final Shetland calf of 2014
Post by: waterbuffalofarmer on May 25, 2014, 06:26:44 pm: Congratulations hope all goes well.
Title: Re: Our third and final Shetland calf of 2014
Post by: Rosemary on May 25, 2014, 07:57:06 pm: Thanks - the girls and Storm have done me proud. They're such easy cattle :thumbsup: :hugcow:
Title: Re: Our third and final Shetland calf of 2014
Post by: shygirl on May 25, 2014, 09:16:56 pm: great news to have everyone arrive safely. :thumbsup:
are you keeping the bull on for another year? or are you keeping the heifer calves on?

:thumbsup:
Title: Re: Our third and final Shetland calf of 2014
Post by: ladyK on May 25, 2014, 09:31:01 pm: aww, another lovely looking calf!
congratulations all around! :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Our third and final Shetland calf of 2014
Post by: Mammyshaz on May 26, 2014, 06:06:01 am: Congratulations, she is very pretty and well done mum.
Title: Re: Our third and final Shetland calf of 2014
Post by: Rosemary on May 26, 2014, 09:00:43 am: Quote from: shygirl on May 25, 2014, 09:16:56 pm
great news to have everyone arrive safely. :thumbsup:
are you keeping the bull on for another year? or are you keeping the heifer calves on?

:thumbsup:

I'm going to use the bull this summer on the three that calved this year and the heifer born last summer then he's going in the freezer. He was born August 2012, so will be within the 30 months.

I'll be looking to buy a bull calf born this summer, at weaning, to use next summer and 2016. It seems to have worked well with Storm anyway.

At the moment, I am planning to keep the heifer calves - but that's me up to six females now so this will be the last year I can keep them unless we win the lottery or can get some additional grazing. I don't want to get rid of the sheep.
Title: Re: Our third and final Shetland calf of 2014
Post by: waterbuffalofarmer on May 28, 2014, 07:20:51 am: I have a buffalo who is a week or two away from calving. She was put in calf to top Italian water buffalo semen, So I sort of hope she gives a heifer, however a bull would be nice. It is very anxious waiting for an animal to calve and even more so whether its a bull or a heifer. Its weird isn't it that with cows you have anxiety and yet not as much with sheep.