[Rosemary]

Vet scanned the girls today and both are in calf.

Breeze is 2 1/2 months gone - due 25th May. We could actually see her calf on the scan - it's legs, anyway.

Blizzard is 5 1/2 weeks, so due 29th June. We couldn't see anything other than balck fluid but the vet says shes definitely in calf.

Had a wee glass of bubbly tonight to toast the expectant mums 

[egglady]

woohoo, congratulations

[HappyHippy]

Brilliant news 

Now you've just got to work on your midwifery technique 
Ropes at the ready   

[Rosemary]

Brilliant news 

Now you've just got to work on your midwifery technique 
Ropes at the ready   

I'm hoping to go out one morning (well, two mornings) and find they've done it all without me. 

[HappyHippy]

Fingers crossed mrs 
I'm sure (like all native breeds) they'll be fine and do it without all the drama associated with the heavier commercial breeds - or maybe that's just sheep 
lol! What do I know, I keep pigs  I'll shut up and not panic you 

[SallyintNorth]

Brilliant news 

Now you've just got to work on your midwifery technique 
Ropes at the ready   

I'm hoping to go out one morning (well, two mornings) and find they've done it all without me. 

Very many congratulations!  And lovely warm weather, good grass times for the calvings, too.  (We hope!)

As to the midwifery and leaving them to it...  probably Shetlands are naturally great mothers, but with our 'mixed parentage' sucklers we keep a very close eye on any heifers calving as they don't always know what to do, and if they don't lick the cowl off the calf may never breathe on its own. 

[Rosemary]

Thank you!

The problem with the timing of calving is keeping the weight off the heifers. With the good grass in Spring, it's not goind to be easy. I might try rotating them AFTER the sheep rather than before, so there's less grazing for them - would that be a plan? The vet says that he'd rather they were slightly thin before calving and I can put as much feed as I like into them afterwards as it will go into the milk or on her back, not into growing the unborn calf.

I will try and move their calving date back towards April, which was my original plan, so will want to get the bull out as quickly as possible after calving. How soon after calving do cows come back into season?

[HappyHippy]

I'm not sure how soon after calving they'll cycle again (Sally will though  ) but following the sheep to keep them on low rations sounds like a good plan 
Karen 

[robert waddell]

if you want to alter there calving date you want the bull back to them just before 6 weeks after calving if they are fit and both fertile they shoud settle first time   you do not want the bull near them (cow and calve)before the calve is a month old 

[SallyintNorth]

I'm not sure how soon after calving they'll cycle again (Sally will though  )

I wish I could live up to your faith in me Karen    but it seems to be a moveable feast.  From our own herd, 5-6 weeks after calving is the earliest they seem to come a-bulling, but if served then they often (nearly always) don't hold.  Our average seems to be around 8-10 weeks after calving to come a-bulling.  They're much more likely to hold when bulled at this time.  We don't have a bull this year, though, and I'm sure they'll cycle sooner if they've a bull with them.

So I would absolutely echo Robert's advice - send them to the bull at about 6 weeks after calving (or watch and use AI if that's your preference.)


On the condition and health over winter, BH says the following:

• Don't give them Crystalyx; they will just put weight on again.  Better to give them a mineral drench or bolus.  Check with your vet what specific elements they need on top of the salt and yellow Rockies, and drench them or get a bolus for that.  For us, it's iodine, copper, cobalt and selenium they need.
• Your ground is too good to get weight off native good-doers!  He'd winter them indoors on straw only, but definitely limit their intake of grass somehow.
• Monitor their weight carefully - since they're growing calves inside them it's hard to judge from an actual weight or girth measurement, so find some points about their bodies to monitor - my dairy farming neighbour swears by the fat on the pin bones and vertebrae in the tail head.
• If the weight isn't coming off, be prepared to bring them in on reduced rations.  They could well still put on weight, or not lose, even on just good straw, so you may need to try to find some poor hay with very little nutrition in it for them to pick on at with just a flap or two of better stuff night and morning.

Good problems to have though!  I've just been thinking about how to manage my Fells this winter; they're horribly overweight after a summer on very rough marshy pasture and I can't see them losing without being restricted and getting a lot more exercise. 

[Sylvia]

Lovely news! I'm sure all will be well. Looking forward to the best of news