Surprise!

[Olga]

For several weeks I have been planning to take Macy to the vet for a preg-check. A plan was in place if she came up open - trip to the butcher. Macy has been with the bull since April and there was no reason for her not to be bred. She did not look pregnant at all.
Today she had a calf by her side, a heifer. Surprise!

[carragheendexters]

Macy must have been getting vibes from you Olga, or did she overhear you telling someone of your plans LOL.

How fortunate that you didn't just send her off for slaughter, she has now also saved you a vet bill.

Congratulations on your long awaited heifer. Where are the photos?

regards Louise

[Olga]

I wasn't expecting to see a calf, so no camera was at the ready. I always take time to observe (stare at) my cows. The first unusual thing that I noticed is that Maxine's heifer was hanging close to Macy and was trying to head-butt at something. The baby was blending in with the mom at the time, but I caught an extra leg under the cow - and sure enough, few seconds later Penelope came into view. A "maintenance" issue became apparent right away - her tail was glued to her butt and rear leg. Bright yellow baby-poop was squeezing out of the sides and when she tried to pee, it just ran down her legs. It took a few gallons of warm water and some soap to remove most of the debris. Penelope was not all too happy about it, since I ended up pulling more than a few hairs on some very sensitive parts... A quick dry with a towel and she was back with her mother again, ready to resume eating, sleeping and exploring. Until tomorrow you'll have to take my word that Penelope is very cute.

[legendrockranch]

Jan 18, 2014 21:38:57 GMT -5 Olga said:

A "maintenance" issue became apparent right away - her tail was glued to her butt and rear leg.

Congrats on the calf Olga. A heifer at that!
I have to laugh about your comment about the baby-poop. I was just talking with another Dexter owner who also had to remove the baby-poop off of a newly born calf.
My husband calls it gorilla glue.

Barb

[Olga]

Gene, you are on target with the thought that the heifer is older. I checked her umbilical cord tonight and it has already fallen off. According to one dairy website, that usually happens 7 to 12 days after birth. Since we're fairly sure that the heifer wasn't born last Sunday yet, she could be up to 5 days off.
P.J., this stuff is worse than glue. For a few seconds I wondered if it was a birth defect, fusing her vulva to the tail. Thankfully, most of it came off. I finished tonight, using a brush, and released mama and baby out of the barn. They appear to be doing fine now that Penelope can lift up her tail.
I'll get some pictures tomorrow.

[lakeportfarms]

Congratulations Olga, what a nice surprise! We'll only take your word that she is very cute for so long, so pictures are in order.

[Olga]

For your viewing pleasure, I present....

Macy and Penelope:

[lakeportfarms]

They're both pretty Olga! And what a nice backdrop. So that's what ground and vegetation look like...it even looks like you still have some leaves hanging on the trees?

[dexterlady]

Olga, they are both beautiful....When do you think she was born?...She is precious....Donna J.

[zephyrhillsusan]

She's a doll! And what a beautiful view they have to enjoy!

[Olga]

Thank you for the compliments! Macy is the same cow who first calved at 14 months old. This is her 3rd calf. All 3 have been heifers - something she may have got from her mother, Maxine, who also gave us lots of heifers. Maxine has an inferior udder, with cone shaped front teats. Macy is the proof that a bull can put a tremendous improvement into his daughters' udder structure. Macy's udder is compact and symmetrical, with nice cylindrical teats of medium size.





Another one of Maxine's heifers, M-Alie, is owned by our friend in Oark; her udder is fine too.
As to the exact age, I can only guess. We saw the cows on the morning of Sunday, Jan 12th. We didn't see the cows Monday - Friday. I wasn't expecting a delivery, so the herd was left to its own devices. We saw the calf on the morning of Saturday, Jan 18th. The umbilical cord was already gone. I wonder if some of the old timers can suggest how quickly the cord dries and falls off on Dexters. Somehow the dairy website's suggestion of 7 to 12 days seems too long.

[zephyrhillsusan]

Olga, could cold dry weather change how fast the cord dries off as compared to wet weather?

[Olga]

Quite possible, Susan. The days were sunny, cool, and very windy. I talked to our land-lady's assistant (from the local Area Agency on Aging) that comes Mon-Fri and she told me that Macy had gone into hiding on Wednesday. That is as good of a guess as any, that Penelope was born on Wednesday. More pictures coming soon, of Penelope and more, in the Photo Album.

[Olga]

Hans, we rarely get snow up here in Arkansas. When we do, it doesn't stay for long. Many of the oak trees are stubborn and don't let go of their dead leaves all winter long. They finally come off in the spring, when the new ones come out.

[Fran]

Congrats! You are so lucky. I've got 4 that are due over the next month, and the anticipation is killing me.