Ready to Pop

[Fran]

Here is a picture of Rosemary. I have her down as being due on Feb. 9th. She looks ready to explode...

[Fran]

And here is a picture of Bonnie - her due date is today, Jan. 21. This will be her 4th calf. She's had 2 heifers (Ellie and Georgia) and 1 bull calf who was sold as a steer.

[zephyrhillsusan]

Does Rosemary usually start springing (going from your comment on the "Surprise" thread) this far ahead of her due date or could she be due sooner than you thought?

[Fran]

We have one baby from Rosemary and that is little Sassy, who will be 2 in Feb. Clyde did not get Rosemary pregnant after Sassy was born before he was sold to the processor because of his mean ways. We "thought" he did because of the way that she looked, but we finally did a blood test later in 2012 and she was not -- even though she really did look it. We got our new bull(Harvey) in fall of 2012 and he took care of business last year. When Rosemary had Sassy, I was out of town visiting vet schools with Jamie and didn't get back in until late that night. I did go check on them and told my husband that she had had the baby but I didn't see it anywhere in the pasture. He disagreed and said he didn't think she had it. I was right (of course haha). I was awakened the next morning to everyone bellowing for that baby. I get out there and they all follow me all over the pasture waiting on me to find said baby. There are no trees in that pasture and it's not that big, after searching it and the 2 next to it, baby was nowhere to be found. I then started searching fields around us and saw a small black heap way off in the field next to a large round bale. I got almost on top of it, thought it was probably dead because I saw no movement, but it heard me (Scott's at work and I'm on the phone fussing at him because I knew she'd had that calf and he had talked me out of looking for it the night before), jumped up and took off like a little jack rabbit. Thankfully, all the cows were at the fence line watching me and still bellowing (all of them, not just Rosemary) and she ran back over to them and zipped right back thru the fence. Soooo, the super long answer to your question is I don't know. Of course, the due date could be wrong. These dates are guesstimates from the last time that I had marked them down as being in heat. I must say that last night she did let me mess with her tail and backside way more than she usually does. Who knows? Every day I change my mind on who I think will be the first one to calve.

[Olga]

Rosemary is huge! My Sioux used to get a belly like that, I always wonder if she'd have twins. But she never did, just a regular sized baby. Both cows look great! Good luck with the delivery marathon!

[Fran]

I know, Olga, she waddles when she walks. She gets no more than any of the others and probably some less because she's not quite the treat hog that the others are. No changes this evening except that Ellie has bagged up a little more.

[zephyrhillsusan]

I love it when they look like a Tootsie Pop with four sticks instead of one. ;D

[Fran]

Yeah, she's a supreme Tootsie Pop!!
No changes this morning. Argggggggghhhhhhhh

[Olga]

RedRidge, I bet it is hilarious! We need a picture of that here!

[lakeportfarms]

Yes, please post photos! We have a few of those too. The look on visitors faces when you show them is priceless You almost have to leave the calf on or milk them until near the next calf or she'll get too fat. That's our biggest problem with the carriers.

Thankfully for us no calves this morning, it is really cold outside -19 last I checked.  The Dexter faces are all white from the frozen moisture from their breath.

[Fran]

Yes, pictures please!!! I absolutely love looking at everyone's pictures.

Currently we only have long-legs, including our bull. However, I am hoping that I have at least one heifer and that I will be able to trade her for a short-leg heifer. I really do like the shorties!! My husband has taken some convincing but since I'm the one that takes care of and does all the animal stuff with minimal help/input from him, I'll be getting one.

I think it was 20 at our house this morning -- way warmer than some of you!! I'm finding in my "older" age that I actually like the colder/cooler weather more so than the hot. My "perfect" weather would be 50-70 daytime highs and 20-40 nighttime lows. Am I crazy or what!

[zephyrhillsusan]

Sheri, we need pics of your shortie cow with her steer nursing and Hans, we need pics of your white-faced Dexters--but with -19 temps we'll let you off the hook and just imagine them!

[ssrdex]

Hi Fran, your cows look nice and ROUND ! Hope those births go well. I'd love to see those nursing pics too. I got pics of our 10 mo nursing her mom last week and it's just a mass of dexter! Funny

[Fran]

Thanks, Joel -- she is sooooo round!!! I can't believe I don't have a baby yet. I told them that if one of them would just go ahead and pop me a baby out, I'd quit messing with all their girlie parts and the rest of them could take their time.. I don't think they're buying it though.....