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Post by Jen on Apr 22, 2008 19:11:21 GMT 7
My friend was out driving around the farm checking the cattle that are all dropping calves at the moment as the guy he leases the land to lives about 500km away and only checks them once every three weeks. He found two dead calves and one that had just been born that morning. He rang and asked if we wanted it as he would otherwise have to leave it to die with the other two. Of course I said yes and now we have a little girl calf to raise. we weren't sure if she would make it through the first night as it is freezing down here at the moment and she was quite weak but she managed to hang on and now on day three she is drinking well and has made huge progress. She is a little dark brown calf with huge eyes and the most adorable eye lashes but I am NOT getting too attached to her (NO I am not I tell ya) as I know she will be destined for the freezer one day.  I will post pictures soon. I have named her Moomoo, original I know but with suggestions of T-Bone and casserole as names I just named her the same thing as I had been calling to her to get up for her bottle. Jen |
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Post by Mandav on Apr 22, 2008 19:34:27 GMT 7
oh no lol how cute , can't wait to see pics
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Post by megzly on Apr 22, 2008 21:45:14 GMT 7
Oh Jen they arebeautiful arent they! have u raised one before? we have had many over the years and they are such fun to raise- because she is a heifer (girl) she might not have to go into the freezer! you might be able to find someone wiling to buy and breed her  unless that is she will pay off her milk debt by providing you meat. how may times are you feeding her a day? |
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Post by Peter on Apr 23, 2008 5:56:31 GMT 7
How's it all going??? Pics Pics!!! I am sure between megzly and matt and myself if you have any problems we can help |
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Post by Jen on Apr 23, 2008 20:49:11 GMT 7
Well this is my first calf but Rob has had about 20 at one time. Unfortunately she has bonded with me and seems to prefer me feeding her than Rob. We started out feeding her 3 times a day but she drinks more if we feed her just twice a day and probably drinks more overall too so thats what we are doing. We could sell her easily enough but with the price of meat these days the economical thing to do is put her in the freezer. Sounds horrible I know. I am trying to be practical but I dont think I will handle it so well when the time comes. Robs brother is a butcher by trade so it does make sense to go that way unfortunately. We'll see. My mate has offered to sell her with his cows as she would have to be registered to do that but I guess she would just end up in someone elses freezer that way. Ya never know, we will just see how we go when the time comes. We could easily end up with a few more before the end of calving. Our Staffy loves calves and cleans the milk off her nose after she has had a feed. He even loves the big cows in the paddock and they love him. they poke their noses over the fence and he licks all the snot off. Its disgusting but funny to watch them all run to the fence when they see him and get ready for their lick and polish. Its like a cow-wash instead of a car-wash! I must try to get a photo of it one day!
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Post by megzly on Apr 24, 2008 15:01:31 GMT 7
she sounds lovely- i dont like parting with my dear cows:( i take a steer to the royal show everyear and after all the training and work you put into them thye end up on someone elss plate. its a bit sad when the time comes to say goodbye- i also have to say bye to my little pet lambies that i handraise- but the milk is too expensie to raise them and then not do anything with them- especcially for the boys since they have no use on out farm since they are wethered- if she is drinking more when you are feeding her twice a day then id say your dong the gith thing  our get shifted onto 2 feeds a day fairly quickly and are offered milk replacer pellets all the time which are great since the calves dont feel so hungry- lol your dog sounds like a real character - so many people have bad opinions about staffys (and other large dog breeds) on farmsbut they are ussually so undeserved |
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Post by Jen on Apr 24, 2008 19:31:30 GMT 7
Yeah he is great on the farm and will help me get the chooks in or chase them out the shed when they try to join us in there but he has never tried to eat one and is happy to leave them when they are where he wants them. He is also as I've said brillant with cattle however sheep are a whole different story and he would chase them til they drop given the opportunity so I am really glad there are none anywhere around here. He will only chase the rabbits out of the yard and is too lazy to follow them down the driveway and he leaves the roos alone too which I am pleased about for his own safety Here are the promised pictures of Moomoo I took after work today    |
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Post by megzly on Apr 24, 2008 19:46:00 GMT 7
OH MY GOD_ SHE IS GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol ahw ia ao beautiful- i think u should con the hubby into letting you keep her lol:)
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Post by Helen on Apr 25, 2008 13:48:07 GMT 7
She is beautiful. Bad move naming her though, from my experience, once they have a name you bond too much with them.
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Post by Peter on Apr 25, 2008 14:46:48 GMT 7
LOL
Bad move indead even giving her a name like moomoo, try refering to her as "the calf"
I have made the same problem with Benji, but he will end up in the freezer one day. He has gotten a lot bigger now.
She is a beautiful little calf...... very cute
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Post by Silvercloud on Apr 30, 2008 8:27:58 GMT 7
Look at those gorgeous eyes. What a sweetie.
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