Post by Gorignak on Aug 18, 2013 7:58:58 GMT -5
Here is Dorothy and her non chondro dun calf. This is a week shy of 90 days old. We can't measure the calf anymore. Her weight + my sons weight exceed the 400 lb capacity of our digital scale....he weighs 190 (6'2") Plus, he can't pick her up anymore.
She is nearing childhood's end....her buts on our butts can now knock us over. So, she is getting a stronger "NO" signal. BUT, we do want her "in our pockets" so she gets the daily scratching and play time.
Born at 45 lbs.....she is over 220 lbs, and probably a good bit over. LOOK AT DOROTHY'S UDDER. That is all you ever see.....we know she gives at least 2.5 gal/day.....probably closer to 3. She has never gone for 12 hours between milkings until this year. She was never hand milked before. We had a loose-poop setback of 4 days with the calf, as we tried to take 12 hours of milk, and feed the calf a starter/creep feed. We now have a better understanding of the process, and are using a totally forage based creep feed. Back to normal, and we will try again. The calf runs to a fresh bale of hay and gobbles great amounts of it. We give Dorothy all the pasture....all the hay.....and 4 lbs of a 25% forage based cube....mostly alfalfa and various seed/bean meals that do not alter the rumen chemistry. A couple of more months and the calf will be taller than her chondro positive sisters.
She is nearing childhood's end....her buts on our butts can now knock us over. So, she is getting a stronger "NO" signal. BUT, we do want her "in our pockets" so she gets the daily scratching and play time.
Born at 45 lbs.....she is over 220 lbs, and probably a good bit over. LOOK AT DOROTHY'S UDDER. That is all you ever see.....we know she gives at least 2.5 gal/day.....probably closer to 3. She has never gone for 12 hours between milkings until this year. She was never hand milked before. We had a loose-poop setback of 4 days with the calf, as we tried to take 12 hours of milk, and feed the calf a starter/creep feed. We now have a better understanding of the process, and are using a totally forage based creep feed. Back to normal, and we will try again. The calf runs to a fresh bale of hay and gobbles great amounts of it. We give Dorothy all the pasture....all the hay.....and 4 lbs of a 25% forage based cube....mostly alfalfa and various seed/bean meals that do not alter the rumen chemistry. A couple of more months and the calf will be taller than her chondro positive sisters.
