Putangitangi
Well-known member
Feed is still a bit tight, so I leave my cows grazing the hill paddocks for as long as I can before bringing them onto the flat calving paddocks. Sometimes I miss one. Fortunately I got there for a check at just the right time.
One near-term cow wasn't with the others, so we tracked some prints heading up into the back of the paddock. As soon as I saw her and her quick-turn movement, I knew things weren't as they ought to be: she'd already calved and was looking unhappy! I naturally assumed all was lost and that we'd be finding a dead newborn which had slid into the gully, but it was not so.
My partner spotted a movement...
... then carried the calf out to safety...
... and she took a much-needed drink. She knew what to do, so I think she'd had her colostrum feed before she fell down the hole.
The calf has mostly pink-lidded eyes, so I'm not sure if she'll stay or not - it'll depend on her temperament and growth. She has a white left lower leg and a couple of white feet. Her sire's black Angus and her mother is 75%. I'm not sure why the white leg has appeared.
One near-term cow wasn't with the others, so we tracked some prints heading up into the back of the paddock. As soon as I saw her and her quick-turn movement, I knew things weren't as they ought to be: she'd already calved and was looking unhappy! I naturally assumed all was lost and that we'd be finding a dead newborn which had slid into the gully, but it was not so.
The calf has mostly pink-lidded eyes, so I'm not sure if she'll stay or not - it'll depend on her temperament and growth. She has a white left lower leg and a couple of white feet. Her sire's black Angus and her mother is 75%. I'm not sure why the white leg has appeared.
