Been an exciting 10 days at sunnyside. Lambing got going with a bang adn the calves are slow and steady.
Plenty of calves just born with no effort or worry, but plenty to worry about!
Cows are lacking in condition, older ones in particular are looking sad. the first hint of grass made me think we had made it. but no, still to calve or not i am caking them.
A damp cold morning saw lambing start and a calf born outside. all jobs done and in for breakfast. but one last thing, no one has seen Gracie yet. Gracie is a pet dwarf, disaster, who keeps my Jersey house cow company. 2 years old and no bigger than a sheep. Kept on as a pet cause what else do you do with her?
A search ensued, cries of Gracie is calving! by the time i get there, its clear it aint coming out on its own. Vets here within 20 mins. My first words to the vet, " this is one for your memoirs" he couldnt believe it. he replied " will i charge for a sheep or a cow operation".
Gracie was in a bad way, but we got a little heifer. small but perfect an fighting fit.
The whole thing was too much for poor wee Gracie, she died the day after never really coming round.
I look at what we have and i think this is actually the best. a useless cow turned into something that looks like it will be normal! then i think how could i have let that happened, how cruel life can be. i would without doubt terminated any calf if i had known about it.
My oldest and of course one of the best went down last saturday in a gateway. she was un injured but unable to move so i made a sled from a mat and rolled her onto it. pulled the sled in to the stock trailer, 500cc quad was a good choice, then back to the farm. 4 days, calcium, potassium, plenty of food she still wasnt up. vet visited twice and on the third visit temp was dropping.
vet was no over enthusiastic for any the of the options. putting her down was the only answer really, but i wanted to have a go at the calf. bringing her on was going to be too late and leave the cow spent so a salvage caeser seemed the way to go. vet was not over happy but as i said whats to lose, i think she thought i was wasting money. i would not have rested if we hadnt had a go.
so 15 mins later cow was put to sleep as i revived what look like a nearly full term bull calf!
fully haired teeth through perfect wee fella!
vet changed tune and was over the moon, saying i was lucky. which i was.
what else can we expect still plenty to calve.
dominic