I've been anxiously awaiting the birth of our calves for about a month. I expected them in March, and the first one just arrived today. While I was beginning to doubt that my cows would ever have a baby, the wait time did give me time to think through my milking routine for this … [Read more...]
Last Year My Cow Kicked Me. What Happened This Year?
Last milking season, I spent a lot of time in tears. My heifer, Annie, had it out for me. My cow kicked me every single time I tried to milk. Or she tried. I stood back and she only made contact once. It was depressing. I was spending at least an hour out in the … [Read more...]
Their Last Bottle
Dust, Shadow and Shade are growing up! All of them are three months old, and this morning was their final bottle! They've had an amazingly healthy start, completely on cow's milk--no replacer. They are also eating a lot of hay, and drinking water. And it's … [Read more...]
Do’s and Don’ts for Bottle Feeding Dexter Calves
I love my Dexter cattle! They're smaller than most other breeds, and typically calm. When I first started raising Dexters, I bottle fed the babies. Now, I let the mamas raise them. But, while bottle-feeding, I learned plenty of things to help the process go more smoothly. … [Read more...]
Calf #3
Apparently the bull didn't waste any time at all last June. I was surprised to see bull number three standing next to Maggie this morning. Since I currently have Epi and Shade separated, I'm going to wait until tomorrow to start milking. At that point, I'll move … [Read more...]