hillsdown
Well-known member
People in warmer climates have asked how we calve in cold weather so I have a pic of what I do. Thankfully most have been born on relatively warm days.
This is Locket's calf .Locket is a pure bred heifer and I knew she was going to calve soon, so I did a 4 am check as it was -41 with the wind chill, and at 7 am when hubby did a check before work he saw Locket and her new heifer calf. The heifer was walking around already but her little ears were frozen and she was very cold. In these cases I take the calf on a sled and put it in the shop in a hutch, the shop is kept just above freezing. She was given colostrum and all of her "stuff" and then bundled up. Hopefully she can go back out with mom around noon as it is supposes to be -15 today..
If calves are born in -10/-15 weather and it is not windy and snowing I usually just put a toque and a sweatshirt on them until they dry off and leave them with mom.
Snug as a bug in a rug.. Mom is waiting for her calf at the spot where she calved..
This is Locket's calf .Locket is a pure bred heifer and I knew she was going to calve soon, so I did a 4 am check as it was -41 with the wind chill, and at 7 am when hubby did a check before work he saw Locket and her new heifer calf. The heifer was walking around already but her little ears were frozen and she was very cold. In these cases I take the calf on a sled and put it in the shop in a hutch, the shop is kept just above freezing. She was given colostrum and all of her "stuff" and then bundled up. Hopefully she can go back out with mom around noon as it is supposes to be -15 today..
If calves are born in -10/-15 weather and it is not windy and snowing I usually just put a toque and a sweatshirt on them until they dry off and leave them with mom.
Snug as a bug in a rug.. Mom is waiting for her calf at the spot where she calved..