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Post by sunshine on May 17, 2011 16:09:06 GMT -5
Today I went back to auction, determined to try again. I looked carefully at all the calves ahead of time this time, and wrote down which ones I liked best and which ones I wanted to be sure NOT to bid on. There were four out of all of them that I wanted to be sure not to get. One was a little dairy calf, very pretty, but weak, tail tucked, and loose poos. One was beautiful, but just born and very lethargic, naval still wet. One I eliminated because of a too pink nose (because of last week's calf), and one I eliminated because of pink around his eyes. The one I really wanted was the mottled faced in these pics. The other is the one I got because I became anxious waiting for the mottled faced, and worried that I'd come home without a calf. Both are lively, and ever so much healthier looking at the get go than the calf I brought home last week, and both have taken a little milk, the mottle faced more eagerly than the other, but I am very optimistic. Both are heifers.
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Post by BigM on May 18, 2011 4:11:29 GMT -5
That's great! They look wonderful!
BigM
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Post by Cyngbaeld on May 18, 2011 9:16:57 GMT -5
Very nice calves! Congrats!
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Post by Granny Smith on May 18, 2011 14:36:59 GMT -5
I'm glad you got right back in the saddle. I lost my first 2 calves to shipping fever. They looked fine in the ring, but one was down by the time I picked him up (20 minutes later) and had to be carried to the car. The other never did look bad, but was dead the next day. Not much you can do about that.
The next 2 had it, too, but I pulled them through it. After that, I bought all my calves from the neighbors so I could walk them home.
I'm glad these are eating well. That's a good sign. Keep an eye on them for lethargy and scours. If you see either one, start treating them right away. There's a shot you can give them in the neck veins to give them a boost, but I can't think of what it is (seems like it's iron, but I'm not sure. it's been a while since I raised calves)
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Post by Valerie on May 18, 2011 18:31:18 GMT -5
They're so pretty. What kind is that small solid colored one, do you know? That is one sweet looking little calf.
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Post by sunshine on May 19, 2011 9:37:13 GMT -5
I had a breakthrough this morning with BabyBliss, the Number 2 calf. Yesterday I went out four times and held the bottle in her mouth, and occassionally she'd swallow as milk trickled in. It was very tedious for both of us. This morning, I stuck the bottle in her mouth and she sucked!! Yay!!! (The Number One calf, Bessie, sucked the first day.)
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Post by Valerie on May 19, 2011 13:11:50 GMT -5
Oh yay, that's wonderful news! I like the shape of that little one's head. That's a nifty little cow.
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Post by sunshine on May 19, 2011 14:34:26 GMT -5
Yea, she's so pretty I'm afraid she might grow up to be a jersey.
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Post by Valerie on May 19, 2011 15:18:34 GMT -5
Maybe that 's why she looks so sweet! Almost like a deer with a fat neck.
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Post by sunshine on May 21, 2011 8:28:25 GMT -5
The calves are still taking their bottles and looking healthy. I'm starting to get anxious for them to actually come to me for those bottles so that I can turn them out in their little pen. If only they understood that's all they had to do to get turned out of those little coops.
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Post by weg on May 22, 2011 18:53:30 GMT -5
very cute little critters and that baby you are holding in your sig picture is very cute too.
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Post by sunshine on May 22, 2011 20:08:52 GMT -5
very cute little critters and that baby you are holding in your sig picture is very cute too. Thanks! She's my first, and so far only, grandbaby. (If I have another on the way, I'm not allowed to say yet. )
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Post by Cyngbaeld on May 23, 2011 12:15:00 GMT -5
Jealous of the grandbaby(ies)!
I'm hoping to get a couple of calves after we move, but it will likely be next spring before I get any. Moving is a hard job by itself.
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Post by christy on May 23, 2011 13:39:34 GMT -5
Oh the solid one is sooo cute. Looks like a jersey, would that be bad? Grandbaby sure is a sweety. So when is your other not grandbaby not supposed to make an appearance?
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Post by sunshine on May 23, 2011 18:55:31 GMT -5
If I was saying, it would be some time in December. Actually, I'm hoping for not a jersey.
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