Calving Season 101

mooie · Post by **mooie** » Mar 21, 2005 10:34 pm

On occasion, when you're raising cattle, you have a mom who rejects her calf. My new DIL's dowrey? included her Hereford cows and one of them decided to calve a couple weeks early. Unexpected but not a huge problem if mama cow decides to do her job.

This one did not.

So into the house comes the calf! He resided in the kitchen for 2-3 days til he got his strength up. He's so cute! He's a 'bucket calf' now and follows my kids as they do the chores and is almost the other dog! Should be interesting to watch as this boy grows up and has to be weaned!

mooie

wingnut · Post by **wingnut** » Mar 21, 2005 11:10 pm

I love it. wish I had one too. Babies are so cute arent they. Keep the pictures coming.

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Mar 21, 2005 11:39 pm

So I know nothing about calves, or cows. Is this a milk cow or a beef cow? ANd how after bonding with them, can you get rid of them! I can just see me with a full grown cow and it's piles in the house! LOL

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » Mar 21, 2005 11:50 pm

Sure is pretty, but that has to be a real pain to house break on of those.

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Mar 22, 2005 12:00 am

Awwwww, it is cute! But mooie, if it decides to pee, what do you do then?

I mean just today, I am spraying *Out* on the carpet here in the puter room from Curtis, and cleaning the kitchen floor with it, where he backed his butt to the edge of the litter in the kennel and pee'd on the floor.....But cow pee? What we won't do for the fur babies.....

It has to be so cute to have him follow you all over....

Give him a pat for me!

mooie · Post by **mooie** » Mar 22, 2005 6:37 am

Jane, Herefords are beef cattle. And the three of them are definitely bonded.

Weaning will be stressful time!

OED, lol, no housebreaking on this one! Nor does sit and stay mean a thing to him!

Lucy, he is a real cutey patootey to be sure! He is outside in his own pen now and the area rug in the kitchen is ummm history!

Can't wait to see how he does as time goes by.

mooie

patsue53 · Post by **patsue53** » Mar 22, 2005 7:53 am

So cute!! But how in the world will be be able to butcher him???????

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Mar 22, 2005 8:48 am

Awwww, he's so cute! Weaning is terrible! We had a herd of cows when we lived in Montana. We were separated the calves from the cows to wean, they cried for three days!

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Mar 22, 2005 10:07 am

Aww I just love calves!
They are sooooo soft and smell like milk to me LOL.
We did the same thing when we had cows, a calf in the house

I have a pic somewhere where the calf is laying down by my dog at the time, on the floor.
We always had bucket calves cause we had milk cows. Man when they get older they can and do pull the nipple off that ole bucket

Great picture!!!

jmboyer · Post by **jmboyer** » Mar 23, 2005 4:51 pm

Sweet little guy.

doublemom2 · Post by **doublemom2** » Mar 23, 2005 6:51 pm

Too cute!!!! One of my dad's cows (not sure what kind they are, part Murrey Gray/part something else) has had twins twice, and both times she's taken excellent care of both of them until weaning. Isn't that kind of rare with cows, that they will keep both calves?

Andi

mooie · Post by **mooie** » Mar 24, 2005 6:45 am

Andi,

No it's usually not a problem for a cow to raise twins, as long as she's a good milker. But they usually don't have the same growth as a single calf would. This little guy is doing good!

He hangs out with my son and his wife while they work outside and plays with the dog. Need to get more pics of this activity!

mooie

doublemom2 · Post by **doublemom2** » Mar 24, 2005 1:24 pm

I'd love to see more pictures of him playing outside, poor guy doesn't know he's a cow LOL!

Andi

Rebekah · Post by **Rebekah** » Mar 25, 2005 12:06 am

Shame it isn't a girl - then you could throw a nappy on it

Nice markings on it too.

And don't worry - our house still has poo stains in it from all the 'adopted' lambs, crook calves etc we've brought inside. Oh, and the birds can make a miss too if they want to. Thank goodness for carpet cleaners!!!

lazygardner · Post by **lazygardner** » Mar 27, 2005 2:38 am

A nipple on a bucket????? I'm having a little trouble picturing that! I guess I am more of a city kid than I thought.

Rebekah · Post by **Rebekah** » Mar 27, 2005 3:04 am

Its a rubber nipple in the shape of a cows nipple. Easily inserted into feeder - its either screwed in or pushed through the hole.

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Mar 27, 2005 3:10 am

He is so cute! here I thought Tegan took up a lot of space in our kitchen, can't pic a calf in there.

And peeing? yikes! I forgot about peeing as I was thinking the other stuff is good for the garden, but forgot about the pee

Debbie

oldcoot · Post by **oldcoot** » Mar 27, 2005 1:28 pm

YEAH, but look at all the fertilizer she has for her plants...
Way to go there girl.

That FUNNY and VERY FRIENDLY Old Coot saying, he SURE is glad Spring is finally here....For him, and hopes it will be for you soon.

Rebekah · Post by **Rebekah** » Mar 27, 2005 4:01 pm

Can someone tell me, what is the ratio between beef and dairy farming over there in America? Are there more dairy farms than beef? Example, 40% beef and 60% dairy.
Reason I ask is that I've been to a couple of American farm websites and they're all beef - no dairy at all.

lazygardner · Post by **lazygardner** » Mar 28, 2005 8:43 am

I didnt' go to these sites, but they might be of interest to you Rebekah.

www.michigandairyfarms.com/
www.mda.state.mi.us/kids/pictures/dairy/

We do have some dairy farms anyway. Some of them even serve ice cream!

Hallson Gardens

Calving Season 101

Calving Season 101

The Old Coot says