The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: danndans on December 05, 2008, 08:04:26 pm

Title: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 05, 2008, 08:04:26 pm
Well i've had a brill week this week ;D

My cows have produced 3 red heifers in a row so far :cow: ;D

one today early hours, one yesterday early hours and one the day before ;D

be nice to have one a day till they've all had, suppose thats wishfull thinking tho :P
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: Rosemary on December 05, 2008, 08:26:22 pm
Congratulations! How many have you got left to calve?
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 05, 2008, 09:35:01 pm
just another urm..... ???.................14 ;D

Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: garden cottage on December 06, 2008, 06:34:28 am
congradulations dandanns;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 06, 2008, 06:42:05 am
Thankyou ;D

nothing out there yet this morning, must go and have a word with them next time i'm out there ;D
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: kaz on December 06, 2008, 08:20:56 am
If they time it right you'll be all done by Christmas. Congrats. D. :) :)
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: doganjo on December 06, 2008, 10:39:42 am
Don't you need James Herriot with you and a block and tackle? ;) :cow:
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 06, 2008, 11:10:18 am
Have only ever once had to have a vet to help out with a calving ;D

Just got back from the field and have got a cow up their ready to drop anytime :) knowing my luck she'l hang on till its dark!! :o

Allgood fun eh ;D ;D
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: doganjo on December 06, 2008, 01:44:23 pm
I have lived in the countryside for years and have been asked if I wanted to help at calvings.  Funnily enough I always seemed to arrive after the births.  Good timing or what ;)
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: Blinkers on December 06, 2008, 06:16:13 pm
Well done DD.
Are we still on for Tuesday?? :)
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 06, 2008, 06:22:43 pm
hope so yeh, dont see any reason why not at the mo :D
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 09, 2008, 05:36:41 am
 ;Dhad a cow already to drop for the last 2 days,  ::) she wasnt letting go for anything,  ??? then yesterday morning she wasnt looking too happy, so gave her the day to sort herself out but nothing at all, bought her upto the shed yeterday afternoon incase the calf needed pulling when it started to come, but she esscaped and went back to the field :o went over their again at around 11 lastnight, expecting to have too bring her back in and she had produced a cracking black bull calf all by her self ;D ;D
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: doganjo on December 09, 2008, 10:59:59 am
Great news - a big lad maybe? 
I remember we had some cows due to calf in our field and they were to be moved back to the home farm, all went off quite happily with one cow bellowing like mad but she still went with the others.  My friend came back an hour later to say that there must be a dead calf in the field as this bellowing cow had calved.  We all went round the field twice - me, John, Elizabeth and two of her farmhands - not a sign anywhere.  We tried again next day as Elizabeth was sure it was a dead one we were going to find. So we sent in Flash our main stud dog (Brittany - HPR Gundog)  Within seconds he went on point just inside the nearest fence pointing into a huge pile of bracken and fallen branches.  Next we heard this resounding growl (can't call it anything else - it was a growl!)  Flash pushed in and up got this very large very black calf - we reckon the cow had such a job getting it out that she was glad to leave it behind when they were moved!  It took all of us to load the calf (a boy) onto the trailer to take him to Home Farm.  He was nicknamed 'Flash'
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 09, 2008, 06:38:42 pm
she had had thisone in the middle of some gorse :P

but they are both doing realy well. ;D

we get them when they leave the calf to be with the rest, sometimes they actualy forget were they left them :o you can see them bellowing and struting around in a panic, more often than not the calf is sound asleep and doesnt even call back ::)
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: kaz on December 09, 2008, 07:25:23 pm
When we had Shetlands the last time she calved she did so in the stable with my husband watching her.
He always said it was the best thing he had seen. :cow: :cow:
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 09, 2008, 07:28:53 pm
get to see most of them calving here Kaz, even the early hours or very late at night ones :-\

its not very often i'll miss one actualy calving ;D
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: kaz on December 15, 2008, 02:12:27 pm
How many are we up to now Dan and has that little one calved yet?
Kaz
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 15, 2008, 05:10:17 pm
yep she calved a few days ago, upto 4 now and looks like its going to be a quiet week with them ;D

theres 3 red heifers and a little black bullock ;D

the goats are all bagging up now, but apparently their not due to start till crimbo day :o

then we try and get the ewes started for new year, but you know what their like, they'l hang on till its pelting down and blowing a hooly :P
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: Blinkers on December 15, 2008, 10:01:22 pm
Well on the way to your "Red" Herd now then Dan... ;)

PS - Cottage pie tonight with your beef....deeeelish.    Beef Bourg...I think...is on the menu tomorrow  ;D ;)   .... and a lovely joint of Topside for Chirstmas Day  :D :D :D :D
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 15, 2008, 10:24:57 pm
we had a whole brisket cooked for 6 hours in the slow cooker ;D  yummmmi!!!

hope you enjoy it all :)

Be nice to have another 4 or  red heifers, itwould be worth running two small herds then ;D
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 23, 2008, 08:57:19 pm
Had another calf today ;D  this time a black heifer :cow:
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: garden cottage on December 23, 2008, 10:51:46 pm
congrats dandanns think its gonna be some time before we can catch catch up with you!
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 26, 2008, 07:50:21 pm
Had a cracking red bullcalf today ;D it took a bit of persuading to come out into the cold,  :o but after a bit of assistance it arrived ;D

Hes a bit slow on the uptake and hes mums got very little milk  ::) so i'm on baby sitting duties  ;D
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: Rosemary on December 26, 2008, 10:00:42 pm
Congratulations - hopefully you'll have some goats' milk for him soon!
Title: Re: calving has begun
Post by: danndans on December 26, 2008, 10:23:28 pm
Hoping to be using that to top up the lambs when they start ;D