Calving

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We've been calving.  All 5 cows at Boundary Rd have had theirs.  We have 5 at Moora as well.

It's the heifers that are a bit slow.  There are 7 in Helen's care at McCorkell Rd and only 2 have calved.  We have 2 at home - and they have no calves last time I looked.

It may be tempting fate, but it's gone pretty well this year.  There have been only two minor dramas.  The first was when one of the cows I have been thinking of culling for under-performance (1 live calf in 3 tries) produced a calf - and then wouldn't stand to let it feed.  Whenever it tried she seemed to be moving away.  This can only go on for so long.

We got Lyn and her calf into the cattle yards and put her in the crush.  It holds them around their neck while giving access to the back end - providing you dodge the kicks.  The leg rope we used was a nice soft wide nylon, so as long as she didn't try to trash around she was reasonably comfortable.

The calf was great.  It hadn't got too weak and got right onto the job.  The first time it fed for over half an hour.  It had a bit of trouble on the back two teats which were a bit big and distended - as you can see in the last photo.

She got on to one of them ok, but I had to milk out the other a bit so that she could finish the job.

We got her in late in the afternoon.  I went out again at about 10-30 pm and made sure the calf got another good feed.  Same again in the morning - and David looked after another feed while I was at work.

By the time I got home Lyn had decided it was simpler to just stand and let the calf feed.  As I walked out to check them it was all action.

It was good to put them back in the paddock with confidence things are going to be ok.  The only thing a cow produces is one calf a year - so you don't like to lose one.

Shortly after this we had a different problem.  A cow called Sarah had a calf - and the silly thing staggered its way under / through the electric fence.  Son David was trying to push the calf back through to be with Mum when Sarah took exception - and charged.

It's a scary thing to have about 600 kg of cow coming at you with intent, but David handled it pretty well.  He just backed off and left her alone.  Within reason, I want a cow that is protective of her calf.  Sarah stretched things a bit by remaining fairly cantankerous with anyone coming near her for almost a week.  She has calmed down now - but the calf is well able to get around and look after itself.
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