boondocks
Well-known member
We have been hopping with our first crop of AI calves. One a day the last several days.
The first one was born Fri am to a first-time Angus heifer. Mom and baby couldn't quite get their nursing act together the first 2 days and we had to try to bottle feed some colostrum to baby (got a tiny bit from mom, and a few oz artificial, but by then it was 8-10 hrs post-birth). Got the two of them in the barn for two days; couldn't see any obvious signs she was nursing much, but she wouldn't take much of a bottle, and she did begin to poo (which was then getting loose). Finally baby was nursing a bit so we let them out with the herd yesterday. She frolicked in the field at 7am today, running everywhere, then we didn't see her the rest of the day. Looked midday and didn't see her but wasn't too worried. This evening got worried and went looking; mama then started hollering and had a full bag. Two hours later, found calf well outside the electric fence, in deep brush and trees. Mama was and had been bawling and bawling for her but baby didn't react; hadn't tried to come out of hiding to mom or even make a noise back. It was sheer luck we found her at dusk. When we reunited them, and mama attempted to moo to let baby know where to go, calf made no sign that she heard.
Although she had a bit of scours the past 2-3 days, her temp has been fine and she's been lively==TOO lively. She ignores mama and pays her no mind, and goes straight to the fence line. Question: is she possibly deaf, or just dangerously in-dam-pendent? Cute little thing but if she keeps this up, I don't like her chances. There was coyote scat all over where she got out.
Have you ever seen a calf just ignore (100%) even the most "Get Yer A__ Over Here Now, Junior!" bellows from mom? She scampers away without a care in the world, while her frustrated mom tries to herd her back to safety/milk. Her ears don't twitch and she doesn't turn her head toward sound, at least that we can tell so far...
The first one was born Fri am to a first-time Angus heifer. Mom and baby couldn't quite get their nursing act together the first 2 days and we had to try to bottle feed some colostrum to baby (got a tiny bit from mom, and a few oz artificial, but by then it was 8-10 hrs post-birth). Got the two of them in the barn for two days; couldn't see any obvious signs she was nursing much, but she wouldn't take much of a bottle, and she did begin to poo (which was then getting loose). Finally baby was nursing a bit so we let them out with the herd yesterday. She frolicked in the field at 7am today, running everywhere, then we didn't see her the rest of the day. Looked midday and didn't see her but wasn't too worried. This evening got worried and went looking; mama then started hollering and had a full bag. Two hours later, found calf well outside the electric fence, in deep brush and trees. Mama was and had been bawling and bawling for her but baby didn't react; hadn't tried to come out of hiding to mom or even make a noise back. It was sheer luck we found her at dusk. When we reunited them, and mama attempted to moo to let baby know where to go, calf made no sign that she heard.
Although she had a bit of scours the past 2-3 days, her temp has been fine and she's been lively==TOO lively. She ignores mama and pays her no mind, and goes straight to the fence line. Question: is she possibly deaf, or just dangerously in-dam-pendent? Cute little thing but if she keeps this up, I don't like her chances. There was coyote scat all over where she got out.
Have you ever seen a calf just ignore (100%) even the most "Get Yer A__ Over Here Now, Junior!" bellows from mom? She scampers away without a care in the world, while her frustrated mom tries to herd her back to safety/milk. Her ears don't twitch and she doesn't turn her head toward sound, at least that we can tell so far...