Donna helped me band the calf. While the calf wasn't too active I still sat on the calf to hold it in place while we banded it. I'm not used to kneeling, straddling and sitting back as my hips and legs were a little stiff and sore from doing this. Donna found that amusing.
Donna can look at a calf's head and face and tell if it is a boy or a girl. So far her track record is spot on.
For the record, the mother is a brockle face cow. Not bronco or broco. Spell check doesn't like the spelling which is why a few times I ended up with bronco.
The next day...
 |
| My balls feel a little weird with that band around them. |
 |
| What you looking at? |
2 comments:
Awesome pictures. How close do the mothers usually let you get to a young calf?
It depends on the mother. One cow is VERY protective and I can't get close to her calf until about three weeks after birth unless I trick the mother and temporarily separate them on two sides of a fence. Otherwise she will attack me. (This is the brown cow who gave birth to the second calf).
The other cows get concerned and will get close to show their concern and will make noises, but they will just anxiously watch and not try to hurt me. Still, when banding a newborn bull calf I keep one eye on the mother cow, especially if she is behind me.
When the calves can walk the mothers will usually get them moving in an attempt to keep them away from me. After half a day to a day I have to run and can catch the calf. After a couple days, forget it. I'm not fast enough.
Post a Comment