[waterbuffalofarmer]

I went to check her this morning and saw that she had given birth, must be only a few hours old, I have left them to bond, am not gonna milk her for about 24 hours and when I do I will still leave the calf on her, that is the system I use. Gradually once the calf gets older and starts eating cake it will come in of a night and be fed cake and the mother will be milked in the morning and then the calf has the rest of the day with her. I find this system works for us and the calf, it saves us milking twice a day, therefore saves time and energy and also the cow lactates for longer and it also saves calf rearing. Buffaloes always hold quite a bit of milk back even when they have no calf demand, they're quite different to cows, cows, I think, give more of their milk than buffaloes, but no animal gives all their milk.

[Sbom]

Brilliant 
Bull? Heifer?

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Its a heifer, a valuable addition to the herd

[Sbom]

Just out of interest, how much milk does a water buffalo give a day?

[Bionic]

Just out of interest, how much milk does a water buffalo give a day?

and what do you do with the milk?

[waterbuffalofarmer]

It depends how good their genetics are, an average buffalo gives about 4-5 litres daily, plus what the calf drinks. A buffalo which has good genetics can give about 10 litres daily, plus what the calf drinks. This cow has very good genetics, so should give about 10 litres. Plus I have 4 more heifers to calve. I make cheese with it.

[Mammyshaz]

Congratulations 
Just need a piccie now so we can all share the delight   

[devonlady]

Do Water Buffaloes actually need water? i.e. do they suffer in the heat if they have no recourse to water (except to drink, of course)

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Do Water Buffaloes actually need water? i.e. do they suffer in the heat if they have no recourse to water (except to drink, of course)

If they have plenty of shade and plenty to drink they're fine. In Italy they are kept in buildings and the buildings have built in, almost like car washes, machines which spray water and have like a scrubber which the buffaloes love. There is a video on YouTube about it. If there is water lying around on the floor they make their own wallow.

[devonlady]

As pigs would?

[Rosemary]

As pigs would?

But bigger 

[Bex]

I was watching Country Wise on ITV the other day and they went to see some water buffalo in Wales. I wondered if that was you?

I'll second the call for baby water buffalo pics! 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

No it wasn't us, sadly. It may be someone I know though, were they in south wales then?

[waterbuffalofarmer]

As pigs would?

Yea very similar

[Bex]

No it wasn't us, sadly. It may be someone I know though, were they in south wales then?

I think it was south Wales. I've the memory of a goldfish so don't hold me to it. Pretty sure it wasn't north Wales as we're north wales and I think that would have stuck.