Post by christy461 on May 4, 2013 20:30:11 GMT -5
I'm still waiting for the calf that we thought was due in April. We bought our two heifers July 7, and were told one might be pregnant. She doesn't look any different from the other heifer. They've both been described as "beefy". She's a little smaller, I assume because she's pregnant young. They are both just 2 years old and larger Dexters. She hasn't come in heat. The other heifer is definitely not pregnant and comes in heat regularly.
The open heifer has magnificent horns and used one to poke the other heifer in the side yesterday while they were eating. She has never done this before. She spent the day licking and guarding the pregnant one, who spent the day laying down. Jelly Bean, the pregnant one, came unglued. She did the head butting thing and used her head to lift the other one off the ground and chased her around the pasture. Every time she could catch the other heifer, she either head butted her or lifted her hindquarters off the ground while running. Jelly Bean drove her to a far corner and made her stand facing away from the pasture. She kept her there for a while and then allowed her to come back. But, she tested her every so often by giving her "the eye" and making her leave the food, but then allowing her to come back.
I assume this means she defended her alpha status. But today, she's been thumping the other heifer around without provocation. Chasing her from the food, eyeballing her, pushing heads with her. She isn't eating much and has been laying down a lot more. She won't come close to the fence to visit with us and won't take any treats from us. I don't see any tail to the side, udder-making or anything else. Her vulva may be swelling a little, but so little, I'm not sure.
Now I have lots of questions. Is it OK to leave them both together? Is she separating herself by chasing off the other heifer? Is the one with horns going to be safe around a baby? How long do I wait for this baby before calling a vet? Since no one is sure of the time frame, and this is a first calving for the heifer, and she is fairly young, I know it may run a little late.
The open heifer has magnificent horns and used one to poke the other heifer in the side yesterday while they were eating. She has never done this before. She spent the day licking and guarding the pregnant one, who spent the day laying down. Jelly Bean, the pregnant one, came unglued. She did the head butting thing and used her head to lift the other one off the ground and chased her around the pasture. Every time she could catch the other heifer, she either head butted her or lifted her hindquarters off the ground while running. Jelly Bean drove her to a far corner and made her stand facing away from the pasture. She kept her there for a while and then allowed her to come back. But, she tested her every so often by giving her "the eye" and making her leave the food, but then allowing her to come back.
I assume this means she defended her alpha status. But today, she's been thumping the other heifer around without provocation. Chasing her from the food, eyeballing her, pushing heads with her. She isn't eating much and has been laying down a lot more. She won't come close to the fence to visit with us and won't take any treats from us. I don't see any tail to the side, udder-making or anything else. Her vulva may be swelling a little, but so little, I'm not sure.
Now I have lots of questions. Is it OK to leave them both together? Is she separating herself by chasing off the other heifer? Is the one with horns going to be safe around a baby? How long do I wait for this baby before calling a vet? Since no one is sure of the time frame, and this is a first calving for the heifer, and she is fairly young, I know it may run a little late.
