thanks to all of you - I knew what to do

[mdmdogs3]

I just want to say thanks to each of you that post questions and answers on this forum -
Tuesday afternoon my Dad pulled a calf that was huge from a first time heifer.
(limo/charolais heifer and charolais bull)
well - the bull calf didn't know how to suck and his mama didn't want anything to do with him -
because of what I've read on here - I was able to actually help my Dad with other ideas (he was really tired by the time he was trying to help the calf)
(he is almost 70 and very strong - but mama had to be tied up, calf had to be given the opportunity to suck, mama was milked, calf fed) I wasn't much help - but I could fetch and carry - and actually give a couple of constructive ideas.
so once again thanks -

ps - this evening - I saw something wonderful - Mama was giving her calf it's first bath (she had been head butting him everytime he got near) so she may take care of him and I may not get my first bottle calf

 

[CattleAnnie]

Hey, that's great news, mdm!

Always nice when things turn up well in the end.

Sounds like your Dad was pretty blessed to have such an able assistant.



Take care.

ps. The learning aspect is what I really enjoy about these boards. So many people with a wealth of knowledge...I'm always learning new goodies here.

 

[Pharmer]

That was a nice post. I liked the fact that you were self reliant and didn't have to call the vet. I agree that this is a great place to get information on cattle. I think that sometimes the CALL THE VET immediately crowd are just posting the CALL VET to be viewed as the "voice of reason on the board."

 

[AngusLimoX]

Congrats mdm!

I will bet that is a beefy little calf!!

Any chance of us getting to see a picture of him??

You keep up the good work, I will bet your Dad is very happy and proud to have you helping him.

 

[ctlbaron]

Thats great news. Good job.

 

[sidney411]

It's such a feeling of accomplishment when you are presented with a situation and know what to do and how to do it without having to call for help everytime. I know what you are talking about. There is a time and a place to use professional help and knowing when that time is, is important, but when you can do it yourself and it all works out in the end it is a great feeling! Congrats!

 

[Workinonit Farm]

mdmdogs3 Good for you and your dad. I'm glad your situation worked well.

I've gotten some good ideas here too. A few times it's been "gee, that's a good idea, I'd never thought/heard of that".

Another bit of info I've gotten here and put to use, has been Ollie's "love potion #9". Worked very well.

Keep on learning.

Katherine

 

[backhoeboogie]

Congratulations! Success has a way of healing past heartbreaks. Success is what to focus on.

 

[Alan]

I just want to say thanks to each of you that post questions and answers on this forum -
Tuesday afternoon my Dad pulled a calf that was huge from a first time heifer.
(limo/charolais heifer and charolais bull)
well - the bull calf didn't know how to suck and his mama didn't want anything to do with him -
because of what I've read on here - I was able to actually help my Dad with other ideas (he was really tired by the time he was trying to help the calf)
(he is almost 70 and very strong - but mama had to be tied up, calf had to be given the opportunity to suck, mama was milked, calf fed) I wasn't much help - but I could fetch and carry - and actually give a couple of constructive ideas.
so once again thanks -

ps - this evening - I saw something wonderful - Mama was giving her calf it's first bath (she had been head butting him everytime he got near) so she may take care of him and I may not get my first bottle calf

I live on the west coast, so I make coffe and set here in the morning while I wake up. Great post to wake up to!

Congrats on not having a bottle calf! Although if you didn't already know this, horse people use a technique called foal imprinting. My wife and I recently attended and seminar given by Dr. Robert Miller, who developed the techinque. I learned that it also works on cattle as well as many other types of animals. He showed us a video of a woman who used it on a now 5 yr old Zebra stallion, that she rides like a normal horse at horse shows and uses him for breeding. You could try it on a calf, just remember how big they get.

No flack from you don't make them pets people, I'm just suggesting a fun experiment for a younger person.

Alan

 

[Victoria]

Congrats on having a great calf having everything work out and on reading up on what to do before you got into the situation so you knew what to do! It's always a great feeling when things work out.

PS - Fetching and carrying can make all the difference in the world and be a HUGE help. ;-)

 

[TR]

Although if you didn't already know this, horse people use a technique called foal imprinting. My wife and I recently attended and seminar given by Dr. Robert Miller, who developed the techinque. I learned that it also works on cattle as well as many other types of animals. He showed us a video of a woman who used it on a now 5 yr old Zebra stallion, that she rides like a normal horse at horse shows and uses him for breeding. You could try it on a calf, just remember how big they get.

No flack from you don't make them pets people, I'm just suggesting a fun experiment for a younger person.

Alan

LOL!! Sorry Alan, I have to laugh at this, because I actually have a "beginners" story relating to this very thing. 900 lb heifer trying to push out a 110+ lb heifer calf outta her. First birth out here, and trust me, the ONLY reason that calf got here was by the grace of God....'cause I sure wasn't any help. Hence the heifer's name, Amazing Grace. I did have the wherewithall to call the vet after an hour of water breaking and seeing 2 front feet, but no progress, and the vet told me that he couldn't help unles I had her in a chute. She had escaped her maternity pen while I took down a panel to use as a Medina type squeeze and used the truck to block in the open space. Anyway, to make a long story short, the calf arrived ALIVE after 5 1/2 hrs of water breaking. I had given up and was at the point of figuring out how to get her in a trailer to get her up to the vet the next day to have the calf cut outta her, and came back down to the north end of the pasture to find mama standing over a humongous LIVE calf. So, I very excitedly went up to the calf to check out its sex, and being a 'horse person' figured while I was at it, I'd do the imprinting thing........first time mama had other ideas and sent me sprawling! LOL!

That night was a bunch of lessons in what NOT to do, from how NOT to use a truck to block an open space, as while they may or may not crash into a panel that they can see through, they WILL go over a truck (Honey didnt listen to my story and found that out again a year later), to what it means when the calf's feet are too big for you to get your hand around, to just what to expect when calling the vet out to help, to the one of the most important things...if you're gonna try the imprinting thing, lock mama up!

 

[Alan]

TR great point about restraining mama, somtimes in my typing I forget to point out what is ovious to me but maybe not others.

Thanks,
Alan

 

[andybob]

Nothing quite like a happy ending, thank you for sharing yours.
Alan, the only thing I remember about those pyjama-clad donkeys, is how much of my grass they could eat!