The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: oor wullie on March 09, 2015, 12:55:03 am

Title: First Calf
Post by: oor wullie on March 09, 2015, 12:55:03 am
Our first ever calf arrived at the weekend.
Calf seems to be doing OK.
Mother is very calm and talking it all in her stride (this is about number 10 for her).
Humans are very stressed, excitable and not very good at doing their bit ;D.
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: Rosemary on March 09, 2015, 08:25:06 am
Congratulations! You don't HAVE to do anything - mum and baby will manage just fine. You are only required to watch and admire.

Bull or heifer?

Given the name, I guess a bull  ::)
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: SallyintNorth on March 09, 2015, 08:42:31 am
Calf looks great and Mum's clearly doing a good job.  As Rosemary says, you don't need to do anything except admire and tell Mum what a great job she's doing!   :hugcow: :love: :cow:

Congratulations!   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: oor wullie on March 09, 2015, 09:54:21 am
It is indeed a bull.

The cow did everything fine, we were just a bit worried as the calf wasn't seen sucking at all during the first day.  The mum is an older dairy type Shetland with a huge udder which doesn't have a lot of clearance between it and the ground which made us think he might be struggling to get under it.
Beth milked a couple of litres from the cow and gave it to him in a bottle just to make sure he had had some colostrum.  Given that he had plenty of energy the next morning and wasn't hungry he must have worked it out for himself.

Us boys are slow learners and he is maybe just a bit shy about people watching him eat!
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: Rosemary on March 09, 2015, 10:40:11 am
I had a similar well documented panic two years ago with Charlie. I never say him suck; he was always asleep. But calves don't feed all that often - I read in Val Porter's book it can be five hourly. The calf will feed then the cow will lie it up somewhere while she goes and feeds.

We tube fed colostrum - we even had the vet out  ::) > I retrospect, it was just our inexperience; the calf was peeing like a river and pooping; neither of which he would have done if he hadn't been feeding. Felt a bit of a wally.

I've seen ours having a sleep after calving, calf and cow, then the cow gets up and makes the calf feed, pushing him around to make him move. Scares the bejesus out of me but it seems to work for them and they've been doing it as a species a lot longer than me.
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: SallyintNorth on March 09, 2015, 11:46:25 am
Even BH, with his 50-odd years of experience, is on edge until he sees a new calf sook, especially if mum has large teats / misshapen bag / teats low to the ground. 

If he's not sure, he'll halter / tie up mum and get the calf onto the teat himself.  And/or milk mum and bottle / drench / tube the calf to make sure it has its colostrum within the first 6 hours.

A lot of his long experience was with Charolais, and they are particularly prone to being daft.  Calfie doesn't latch on properly, mum gets fed up and irritated - I'm so glad we have an Angus bull and mainly Angus X, Hereford X and Blue Grey cows now!   :D

But I'm with you oor willie - an experienced mum knows calfie has to sook, so if mum's happy it's probably going ok.  And the looking for calfie pee and poo is a top tip, Rosemary ;)
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: trish.farm on March 09, 2015, 11:49:31 am
Congratulations!!!  I was the same last year with my first calf, total nervous wreck.  Just enjoy!!!
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: Brandi on March 09, 2015, 08:01:02 pm
 :sunshine: absolutely beautiful, even the sunshine has to smile! They have such sudden bursts of energy, don't they, lovely to watch, have a lovely summer watching him grow, we always get so attached to ours
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: devonlady on March 10, 2015, 05:44:07 am
He looks a handsome chap! Congratulaions :thumbsup:
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: sabrina on March 10, 2015, 09:45:27 am
It was with great sadness that I heard last night a lady from Bixter Shetland was killed while trying to help a cow calf. Please take extra care when around your cows you never know what could happen.
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: oor wullie on March 10, 2015, 11:44:33 am
Yes, I saw that as well, very sad and sobering.
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: Bex on March 10, 2015, 03:36:16 pm
I saw it too. So sad.
I immediately thought of all those here on TAS that are up in Scotland and prayed it was not one of them.
 :'(
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: Highlandrose on March 10, 2015, 07:29:03 pm
Does anyone know exactly what happened to the woman in Shetland? There is not much information on the news site. I've been in and out of the pen with Fearghas and am thankful that his mother has not been an issue. She seemed to understand my stress of trying to get him to feed and was incredibly patient. She was even fine when two farmers came on Saturday to give me a hand and it took the two of them to get the calf to feed (I had wondered what I was doing wrong, a) I hadn't realise how strong a new born calf can be, & b) I didn't realise how thick bull calves could be about where to put their heads). His mother has shaken her head at me a few times but that has been it. Our next cow is due any time now and it doesn't install me with huge confidence hearing about the lady in Shetland. My condolences to her family.
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: SallyintNorth on March 11, 2015, 08:14:22 am
Until he knows how they'll be, BH halters and ties them up if he has to help the calf latch on.  So if you've one hasn't calved with you before, take care, take nothing for granted, and if you have to intervene, get her tied up - and make sure someone knows where you are and how long you should be, or better, have someone with you who stays on the safe side so can get help if needed.

And our cows are all soppy Anguses and Herefords ;)
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: Rosemary on March 11, 2015, 08:47:05 am
I believe the incident in Shetland was a result of the cow slipping and falling on the woman but I haven't seen that confirmed in the media.

Highlandrose, in my limited experience, bull calves are slower than heifers  ;)
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: Factotum on March 11, 2015, 07:38:55 pm
Second what Rosemary says about bull calves - some of ours have been very thick indeed. Sucking on the wrong bits, lying down in rushes and getting cold, you name it, they've done it.

In contrast, last year one of our heifer calves was up & running about like a loony about 2 hours after she'd arrived into the world. She was dry - Mama had been very active on the tongue front, and had a belly full of the white stuff...

Sorry we're not closer to give you a hand if the 'Master' is away at the moment. Good luck with the next calvings.

One thing that might help is to keep Erik out of the way - steers can get a bit excited and perhaps a bit much for a newborn - no malice is intended, but the whole - Ooh a new baby! can make steers a bit more hyper than usual.

Take care.

Sue

PS - You have our phone no & e-mail - please feel free to use it at any time - we're here if you need some remote support. Sx.
Title: Re: First Calf
Post by: oor wullie on March 12, 2015, 01:50:41 am
Thanks Sue. 
Mum and calf have been penned separately from the others so the calf will hopefully be a week old before he meets the steer.

I like the way you refer to me as the 'master' but that is probably a thought I had best keep to myself as I am not sure I have sufficient claim on that !!