[waterbuffalofarmer]

Heya guys.
Yesterday at 1/2 4 in the afternoon, we had a calf born to one of our buffalo cows, a bull calf, she was in calf to an awesome Italian bull. When he is big, all being well, we will either sell him as a breeding bull or use him to improve the herd more. I'll try and upload the pics, as soon as I can upload them to the computer.

[Rosemary]

Congratulations  Waiting for photos 

[Mammyshaz]

Congratulations  piccies are a must! It's not often we see buffalo calves on here 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Here are the pics

[Bionic]

lovely calf. Are they difficult to keep?

[waterbuffalofarmer]

No they are the easiest of animals, placid, good natured and they affectionate. Of course we breed for temperament and milk production too. When the calf is a week old we will start to bring it in of a night and feed it cake, then in the morning we milk the mother and let the calf out with her for the rest of the day. That is our system, once a day milking and the calf gets the rest, so it saves us feeding him milk.

[RaisinHall Tamworths]

Aww bless.  We have a couple of buffs, don't breed anymore they are just retired now  .  They are lovely beasts  .  Our two decide when they want to come inside for the winter and they bellow until they get their own way  .  In summer they are out and about in THEIR field enjoying a nice wallow.  We have Highland ponies and MIL has TB's.  When the buffs were younger if the TB's were put in the field they would chase them but would live quite happily with the Highland.  Not so bothered now they are older

[Mammyshaz]

Wow, they are big beasts. So cute to see the calf 

[Brandi]

They are awesome, almost prehistoric qualities, obviously very proud parents!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Actually this bull is not the father but a distant relative.

[landroverroy]

Lovely pictures.
What do you do with your animals?
Do you milk them just for your own consumption, or do you sell it/make cheese?
Do you fatten them for meat, and if so, where do you sell it?
 
RaisonHall - what are buffs?

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Lovely pictures.
What do you do with your animals?
Do you milk them just for your own consumption, or do you sell it/make cheese?
Do you fatten them for meat, and if so, where do you sell it?
 
RaisonHall - what are buffs?

We keep them for milking, yes we do drink some of the milk the rest goes into cheese production, and hopefully next year, mozzarella production. We do not fatten them for meat, we sell the bull calves to someone in north yorkshire, who fattens them up for meat and sells it on farmers markets.
Buffs is short for water buffalo.

[Backinwellies]

lovely pictures.   How many buffs do you have?   I see you make cheese, do you sell it?   

[waterbuffalofarmer]

We have 26 in total, that includes young stock and the milkers, plus the bull too. We sell our cheese through delicatessens, farmers markets and mail order. http://www.buffalodairy.co.uk/ This is our website. We make a soft buffalo milk, unpasteurized cheddar. Buffalo milk is high in fat, good fat because we pasture feed them, and is low in cholesterol, also high in calcium and is perfect for people who have an intolerance to cows products.  

[Rosemary]

Wow! Well impressed 

How do you catch the calves? Ours are like lightening, so I've never managed to milk the cows because I can't catch the calves to separate them