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Post by lakeportfarms on Feb 8, 2014 11:30:09 GMT -5
Great! Keep us posted on Rosemary and the calf in with her.
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Post by Fran on Feb 8, 2014 12:32:41 GMT -5
I have not seen Rosemary's baby (doesn't that sound creepy) actually nurse yet. I've seen her try and it kind of looked like baby had a little milk foam around mouth but I'm just not sure. I'm waiting on Scott to get home to help me milk rose. She keeps kicking the snot out of me. She's looking at me so sweetly and trying to kick my head off at the same time. IMO, she doesn't really look like baby has nursed.
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Post by lakeportfarms on Feb 8, 2014 13:33:57 GMT -5
Just keep an eye on them, and look also at Rosemary's udder for evidence of course. Get a little food in front of her. But don't milk her if you don't have to, it would be better if you can get the calf to drink by restraining the cow and then guiding the calf up to the udder instead. She may very well have already had something while you were concentrating on Sassy.
If you have both successfully nursing, I'd leave them separated for some time or you may find that one (probably the heifer) relinquishes her nursing duties to the other one.
Good luck!
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Post by Fran on Feb 8, 2014 14:30:24 GMT -5
Yes Hans, my husband wanted to let them out of the stall so they could be out in this beautiful sun - sassy came out and went straight for the other baby. I put her back up and will leave up for a day or so. Got rose's baby to nurse. She kept kicking at it (and she chose this baby). I think she was just so uncomfortable. I tied her up' milked about 4 oz from her and started bottle feeding baby. After she finally started nursing and took about 2 oz, I had her at moms side and just kind of pushed her head to the udder. She finally found it. Yayyyyyy
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zephyrhillsusan
member
Caught Dexteritis in Dec. 2009. Member of this forum since Oct. 2013.
Posts: 1,502
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Post by zephyrhillsusan on Feb 8, 2014 14:44:31 GMT -5
What a relief! It will be quite interesting to see whose baby ends up being whose when you do the testing, see if you guessed right. It's like birth mom and adopted mom. At least it's not like one of those horrible hospital mix-ups where they send the wrong babies home with two moms and don't find out until years later. Fortunately it's not catastrophic with cows as long as everyone gets nursed! You must be so relieved that seems to be happening.
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Post by Fran on Feb 8, 2014 14:48:39 GMT -5
Oh my gosh, Susan - I am exhausted! Good thing for those genotype tests. I agree, as long as both are nursing, I don't care who they're nursing. Now I'm just waiting on the other 2 to go......
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Post by lakeportfarms on Feb 8, 2014 16:14:08 GMT -5
I think it will take more than a day, or even 5...but as Susan said it will be interesting to see whose baby is whose. I'm leaning toward Rosemary having adopted Sassy's baby when she was born, and so we have a switched at birth scenario with cows. But you never know for sure so just make sure they both are getting their colostrum and milk and eventually they will sort it all out. A sunny day? So much for my low pressure theory Happy it's all working out, but just keep an eye on all of them!
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zephyrhillsusan
member
Caught Dexteritis in Dec. 2009. Member of this forum since Oct. 2013.
Posts: 1,502
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Post by zephyrhillsusan on Feb 8, 2014 17:33:09 GMT -5
You should change the title of this thread to "Rosemary's Baby."
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Post by Fran on Feb 8, 2014 17:39:24 GMT -5
Hmmmm Susan, no way! Hans, it will be interesting.
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Post by Fran on Feb 8, 2014 17:40:36 GMT -5
Hans, it was cloudy and supposed to have rained last night but it didn't. Sun came out around lunchtime or so.
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Post by rhonda on Feb 8, 2014 18:29:44 GMT -5
Fran, sounds like you've had quite the day! I am so glad both calves are nursing and wish you the best. Try to relax for a while--if you are anything like me your nerves are shot!
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Post by Fran on Feb 8, 2014 19:27:24 GMT -5
Rhonda, you are so right! I told Bonnie she'd better not even think about giving birth tonight. Watch her do it anyway. And I'm supposed to deliver hay to Athens, GA tomorrow for our daughters horse. Grrrrr
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Post by ssrdex on Feb 10, 2014 2:34:23 GMT -5
Hi Fran, just catching up on these threads tonight and I'm so glad you got capable help and things worked out. Who cares whose nursing who at this point, right? They won't care in 10 months either. Congratulations!!
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Post by Fran on Feb 10, 2014 9:03:18 GMT -5
Yes, Joel, you are so very right! I have been worried about Rosemary's baby because while I had seen her try to nurse, I had actually only seen her nurse once and that was when I put her on the teat. Well, I did get to see her nurse this morning, but I think she's only nursing 2 quarters on one side. Rosemary is very swollen on those other 2 quarters. I had to come in to work, but I'm thinking that when I get home this afternoon, if I can't see that those quarters have been nursed, I'm going to put her in the headgate and milk them out. This morning when her baby was nursing and she butted her momma, Rosemary would not really kick her but kind of jerk her leg up and then put it back down... if you know what I mean. And that was on the 2 quarters that are not as huge. What do you guys think?
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zephyrhillsusan
member
Caught Dexteritis in Dec. 2009. Member of this forum since Oct. 2013.
Posts: 1,502
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Post by zephyrhillsusan on Feb 10, 2014 9:23:12 GMT -5
When she butts that side it probably hurts the other side. I'd try to milk the full side out when you get home if it's still the same and if she'll let you. Personal experience makes me believe a nice hot, wet compress and emptying her out should both make her feel better and help the calf nurse all four quarters. I bet it was hard going off to work and leaving them!
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