Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Secretive Suckling  (Read 2542 times)

Haylo-peapod

  • Joined Mar 2012
Secretive Suckling
« on: April 18, 2012, 09:06:05 am »
Well, our first ever calf arrived on Sunday and seems to be doing very well although we have not seen her suckling.  Instead she seems to play around under her mum's tail sucking on some hair. She's been bombing around the field and is very inquisitive so she must be having a sneaky suckle when we're not looking. Is this common?

Next challenge is to catch and tag her - if she and her mum will let us. Mum is a Highland and fortunately seems to be tolerating us very well, not sure if this is likely to change if we try and get hold of her baby though, hmm.

suziequeue

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Llanidloes; Powys
Re: Secretive Suckling
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2012, 09:21:26 am »
We had this with one of our lambs last year. Eventually we decided - like you - that in view of the fact that the lamb was keeping up with her peers and seemed to be enjoying life - we would stop worrying.

Eventually - weeks later - we saw her at the milk bar. ::)
We do the best we can with the information we have

When we know better we do better

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: Secretive Suckling
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2012, 12:12:57 pm »
I didn't see my first lamb this year suckle til day 4 or 5. But he obviously was since he always had a full tummy and was full of beans  ;D

landroverroy

  • Joined Oct 2010
Re: Secretive Suckling
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2012, 03:49:28 pm »
 Ensure you get the calf in a trailer or pen, away from mother, before tagging.
 Highlands can be the most placid of beasts, until the mother hears the bellow of her captured calf. You cannot safely tag a calf with its mother, complete with 5ft hornspan, breathing down your neck.

 I shall remember forever the news report, many years ago, of a woman who went to examine her newborn highland calf and ended up with a highland horn through her eye socket.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2012, 04:00:32 pm by landroverroy »
Rules are made:
  for the guidance of wise men
  and the obedience of fools.

Haylo-peapod

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: Secretive Suckling
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2012, 04:16:04 pm »
OUCH ! That sounds really nasty.
I'll certanly heed your advice - thanks Landroverroy, I was in a dilemma as to how to handle the situation.
I hadn't thought about using the trailer, I was considering putting Mum in the cattle crush, but the trailer option might be a good alternative.

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Secretive Suckling
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2012, 07:47:29 pm »
Hmm, good tip for when we have our first calves too  :thumbsup:

 

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