Brought them home...

[milkmaid]

One really uncooperative nurse cow and four calves that haven't ever nursed off a cow before. :lol: :roll:

It's 311 and four new foster calves, all holstein/angus cross, two bulls and two heifers. And not the most even lot in the world either, with one bull solid black and built like an angus and the other with enough white on him it's obvious he's part holstein.

Calves range in age from a month to around a week old, all used to drinking from a bottle. And drinking from a bottle is a lot different from drinking off a cow where those teats sure don't move to the calf -- calf's gotta go find his own meal. :lol: Everytime I'd get a calf or two on, 311 would kick, and then I'd have to start all over again. To add to that I'd be trying to show one calf where to drink and have three others sucking on my shirt and butting me... oh the joys of grafting calves on. :roll:

Pretty sure I'll have them scouring within 48 hours -- sort of wanted to limit feed at first but you decide pretty soon to just let whoever nurse that can figure it out, and worry about treating them later. LOL. Still ended up milking out 311 by hand after 3 of the calves were full, and the fourth...well, she's a month old and it's going to take her a little longer to figure it out. Only getting a partial feeding for a day or two isn't going to hurt her any.

 

[showkid1200]

wow sounds like you have your hands full :lol:

 

[WarriorPatriot]

Goodness what a project. Getting bottle calves onto a cow is a lot harder than getting them from cow to bottle.

How did the holstein/angus happen to..happen? lol


PS Dontcha just love that calf slobber? ;-)

 

[Angus Guy]

Keep after them MM. If anybody can do it you can.

 

[Beefy]

milkmaid, it wont take em long to figure out the all you can eat buffet is better than the milkshake.

 

[msscamp]

Sounds like worlds of fun. You get to do it all again tomorrow to. Ahhhhhhhh the joy of having a farm.

Would it be too much to ask for you to keep your sarcasm and pessimistic outlook to yourself? :roll:

 

[msscamp]

One really uncooperative nurse cow and four calves that haven't ever nursed off a cow before. :lol: :roll:

It's 311 and four new foster calves, all holstein/angus cross, two bulls and two heifers. And not the most even lot in the world either, with one bull solid black and built like an angus and the other with enough white on him it's obvious he's part holstein.

Calves range in age from a month to around a week old, all used to drinking from a bottle. And drinking from a bottle is a lot different from drinking off a cow where those teats sure don't move to the calf -- calf's gotta go find his own meal. :lol: Everytime I'd get a calf or two on, 311 would kick, and then I'd have to start all over again. To add to that I'd be trying to show one calf where to drink and have three others sucking on my shirt and butting me... oh the joys of grafting calves on. :roll:

Pretty sure I'll have them scouring within 48 hours -- sort of wanted to limit feed at first but you decide pretty soon to just let whoever nurse that can figure it out, and worry about treating them later. LOL. Still ended up milking out 311 by hand after 3 of the calves were full, and the fourth...well, she's a month old and it's going to take her a little longer to figure it out. Only getting a partial feeding for a day or two isn't going to hurt her any.

It's nothing you can't handle! ;-)

 

[msscamp]

Exsqueeze me? I was not trying to be sarcastic. i was just simply stating that with farming stuff like what she was talking about come with it. Its always something on the farm.

My apologies for misreading. Perhaps you might want to invest a little more time in re-reading your posts to prevent this type of understanding from happening again?

 

[milkmaid]

This morning was soooooo much better. :lol: 311 was standing at the fence waiting to be caught, calves went right to the cow as soon as I led her in the pen (rather than racing at me, lol) and I had one on each quarter in short order. Actually only had to show one calf how to drink (the month-old heifer) and the others managed by themselves. Cow didn't kick...this might actually go a little more smoothly than I first thought. Sure hope so!

I took 311 completely off grain and she's only on the alfalfa hay field right now; hopefully that'll drop her milk production from the 65lbs/day at the dairy down to a more managable level for 4 calves, like 40-45lbs/day.

Warrior... neighbor's angus bull got in the field with boss's holstein heifer herd. I've been planning on these calves for at least 6 months now, they came a little later in the year than I thought they would, but oh well. Better late than never. :lol:

 

[jaydill]

This morning was soooooo much better. :lol: 311 was standing at the fence waiting to be caught, calves went right to the cow as soon as I led her in the pen (rather than racing at me, lol) and I had one on each quarter in short order. Actually only had to show one calf how to drink (the month-old heifer) and the others managed by themselves. Cow didn't kick...this might actually go a little more smoothly than I first thought. Sure hope so!

I took 311 completely off grain and she's only on the alfalfa hay field right now; hopefully that'll drop her milk production from the 65lbs/day at the dairy down to a more managable level for 4 calves, like 40-45lbs/day.

Warrior... neighbor's angus bull got in the field with boss's holstein heifer herd. I've been planning on these calves for at least 6 months now, they came a little later in the year than I thought they would, but oh well. Better late than never. :lol:

Glad everything's workin out for ya! I knew it would! Everything works for Milkmaid.

Jay

 

[milkmaid]

This morning was soooooo much better. :lol: 311 was standing at the fence waiting to be caught, calves went right to the cow as soon as I led her in the pen (rather than racing at me, lol) and I had one on each quarter in short order. Actually only had to show one calf how to drink (the month-old heifer) and the others managed by themselves. Cow didn't kick...this might actually go a little more smoothly than I first thought. Sure hope so!

I took 311 completely off grain and she's only on the alfalfa hay field right now; hopefully that'll drop her milk production from the 65lbs/day at the dairy down to a more managable level for 4 calves, like 40-45lbs/day.

Warrior... neighbor's angus bull got in the field with boss's holstein heifer herd. I've been planning on these calves for at least 6 months now, they came a little later in the year than I thought they would, but oh well. Better late than never. :lol:

Glad everything's workin out for ya! I knew it would! Everything works for Milkmaid.

Jay

Well maybe not everything. :lol: But, where there's a will there's a way -- and I'll sure try my best to make everything work for me. ;-)

 

[Bama]

MM - If anyone can do it I'm sure you can, heck it wouldn't surprise me if you had her fixing them breakfast and then brushing their teeth before sending them off to calf school with a sack lunch. :lol:

 

[donnaIL]

I'm still anxiously waiting for a picture..I have dreams of getting one of our cows to take 4..she's a good milker.

I enjoy your posts also..donna

 

[WarriorPatriot]

Keep after them MM. If anybody can do it you can.

I second that


Love to see some pics of 311 and your new arrivals.


Becca

 

[Beefy]

MM - If anyone can do it I'm sure you can, heck it wouldn't surprise me if you had her fixing them breakfast and then brushing their teeth before sending them off to calf school with a sack lunch. :lol:

dont give her any ideas, Bama!

 

[milkmaid]

MM - If anyone can do it I'm sure you can, heck it wouldn't surprise me if you had her fixing them breakfast and then brushing their teeth before sending them off to calf school with a sack lunch. :lol:

:lol2: :lol2: Now THAT would be a sight, wouldn't it?? LOL.

Calves drank good tonight, cow was a pain at first until I let her know what I thought of that - had just gotten my hand kicked down at the dairy by 162 and I was NOT in a good mood - but then 311 settled down. One calf wasn't real enthusiastic about nursing so I loaded her up with drugs. Cows are really good about letting you know when they don't feel right - unlike me, I had blood splattered over my shirt and the barn floor and I was still standing there insisting to boss I was perfectly fine. :lol: (Seriously though, I am OK. :nod

 

[warpaint]

MM - If anyone can do it I'm sure you can, heck it wouldn't surprise me if you had her fixing them breakfast and then brushing their teeth before sending them off to calf school with a sack lunch. :lol:

:lol2: :lol2: Now THAT would be a sight, wouldn't it?? LOL.

Calves drank good tonight, cow was a pain at first until I let her know what I thought of that - had just gotten my hand kicked down at the dairy by 162 and I was NOT in a good mood - but then 311 settled down. One calf wasn't real enthusiastic about nursing so I loaded her up with drugs. Cows are really good about letting you know when they don't feel right - unlike me, I had blood splattered over my shirt and the barn floor and I was still standing there insisting to boss I was perfectly fine. :lol: (Seriously though, I am OK. :nod

Glad you're ok.

 

[milkmaid]

Thanks, me too. :lol: ;-) As it is, my hand is just a little swollen and it should be alright (I can use it to type! ) but if things had happened a little differently I'd probably have a severely broken hand. :shock: She really kicked hard.