We raise Shorthorn mother cows
They are red and white and oh so beautiful...
Once in awhile a white calf is born:
We kept her as a replacement heifer...
A replacement heifer is a yearling calf that you keep (rather than selling it with the rest of the yearlings) and breed it to become a mother cow in your herd. Each year we keep the very best heifer calves, usually a dozen of them, to become mother cows in our herd.
Here she is as a mother cow.
She was in labor all day yesterday...
We checked on her throughout the day to see
how she was progressing.
6pm I ran home to get my camera...
when we returned, her calf
had just hit the ground
Here he is....a big Bull Calf
Calf Number 26
White Cow was bred to a Black Angus Bull
so her baby is black
CLICK BELOW to watch a video of calf 26
getting up and walking for the first time:
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| Maybe next time I will record a live birth for you...if I have my camera ready.
CLICK HERE: to see My Quilts
May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,
LuAnn Kessi
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What is a replacement heifer?
ReplyDeleteHi Gail,
ReplyDeleteA replacement heifer is a yearling calf that you keep (rather than selling it with the rest of the yearlings) and breed it to become a mother cow in your herd. Each year we keep the very best heifer calves, usually a dozen of them, to become mother cows in our herd.
Thanks for your comment,
LuAnn
Thanks again for another great video! She's a good mama, and he looks like he'll be a really big boy. How long did it take before he did finally stand? Hour or two? And will you keep him?
ReplyDeleteAmazing video--what a beautiful Mother Cow...I find your videos absolutely fascinating--I guess because we are so far removed from your lifestyle here in what we call "country" LOL
ReplyDeletecompared to our cities...hugs, Julierose
How adorable! I was cheering him to get up!!! Wanted to see him nurse but can't have everything! Ha So exciting allowing us this peek into your world! We all love it!!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Robbie...wanted to see him nurse!! But I know it takes up to an hour and you can't just sit there and film!! I'm also hoping to see one be born! Now I am rooting for white mama's baby to be a replacement bull for your herd!! Lots of work on the farm from now until the end of September, with births, moving from pasture to pasture, and growing the hay - do you have pivots or wheel lines for irrigation? We have 1 pivot, 2-3 (depending on how many fields they are using) wheel lines and some hand lines to get the weird corners. Really kicks hubby's butt when he is busy with the farm implement business and having to deal with the irrigation (preferably in the daylight), especially now that his son doesn't live here any more. So glad that we only have 3 horses, 2 cats and 2 dogs, cuz I don't think another job would fit on his plate!!
ReplyDeleteWe have more expectant cow mamas so I am hoping to video a birth sooner or later. We will be busy calving through June, the replacement heifers are always bred later and don't calve until May and June. We should be cutting hay by the middle of June and into July and hopefully have it all stored in the barn by the first part of August. Western Oregon is very wet so we don't need to irrigate our hay crop. The summer pastures are usually dried up by the end of August so we begin feeding the cattle in September and continue through April....we feed 8 months a year.
ReplyDeleteMany Thanks for your comment,
LuAnn