Sunday... 3 pm... It is cloudy grey and just raw out there... we had a skiff of snow yesterday morning, and got some snow pellets the size of this styrofoam ball things in the bean bag chairs and such today...
Pictures will happen eventually but not for a few days, no energy for that on top of trying to just get her settled.
DS got her here, and the 2 calves, one very weak, wobbly, the other cannot stand... he said if I wanted to take him I could, it was up to me.... not charging me obviously. Both were pulls, one a hard pull... She let my bottle calf on her last evening and he sucked 2 quarters... I stripped some milk out of the other side but my energy levels are low.... She put her head in the bunk, I closed the little head catch and she just ate and did fine... she is very disoriented, mooing... this is a big adjustment but she is not acting up at all....
The new one standing is "dumb".... lack of O2 to the brain maybe... try and try to get him to suck... then all of a sudden, Oh this is what I am supposed to do???? They both got calf coats because of the cold... the one down I got a very little in... but he is not doing good... I am not optimistic with him...
This morning, the one standing went through the whole fight the bottle then








I'm supposed to suck... drank nearly 2/3 bottle and then went over to cow and was nosing around a bit... hoping he will get some strength to WANT her... She acts interested in him... just lets the other do his thing.... but she was about done with her grain so backed off.... I am not trying to force her to do anything... Found a neck chain to put on her so I can attach a lead to the her to keep her at the bunk without her head being in the head catch... it is not really designed for "cows", it was designed for calves...built lower, so she has to have her head down more than is comfortable... It works in a pinch but do not want her to be uncomfortable...
Didn't get the other one to even suck... thinking about tubing him, but will see when I go back up....
Did get DS to come up and help me get the 28 calf in the chute for his shot... since there is so much going on... I do not have the strength to fight him... he won't go for grain because he knows that I am going to catch him... even though I don't catch him every time... just every 3rd day... leg is not as swollen, still oozing which is good... hoping I can get it cleared up... He walks on it, limps a little... just do not want the infection to get into the bone and vet said not to wrap is so it will drain...
DS brought the silage cart/wagon up and I had him bring a tub of silage for the jersey and 28 who liked it at the barn... poor cow has had enough changes, least I can do is give her some silage she is accustomed to eating. She is not pushy or aggressive so far...
Yesterday when DS brought the jersey, I had the steer in with Jess and her 9+ mo old calf... to keep him company and keep him quiet... He got a little aggressive when DA and Colt were there, then shoved the inside gate open and got into the other pen that he will shove his way out the opposite gate to get loose. I managed to get around him as he is trying that gate... and got him back in the little barn, then he went out the door and on the trailer.... we also loaded Jess's other calf... time to wean him... that was kinda the plan when we talked about it... DS said he probably weighs 500 so I said , go on and take him.... She is not happy today... she was at the pen looking for her "baby"... she is a phenomenal mother... but she can use the break... hoping she is bred... we never preg check her... BUT... she was in there with the bull, and the 6 that turned up open, along with the 17 of 20 that turned up preg.... sooooo... hoping she caught even though the other 6 did not.... if not, she will have a bull with her in there this June with other heifers to get bred... she is not getting sold if she is open... The 9 mo calf will get sold this spring... he won't go with the steers that DS sells to that guy...doesn't match and he buys only black and some bwf ones.... but will go to the stockyard on a trip up there sometime we are taking something.... ... He will be at the barn eating silage and all with the rest of the weaned calves.
The sun is trying to peek out through the clouds to the west.