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Strange Heifer

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aplusmnt

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Had a unusual heifer calf tonight. Around 5:00 she came up to eat at trough with rest of cows. She had never separated herself from herd but I had noticed she was bagging a little past day.

Go behind her and can see the hoofs pushing her out. around 5:30 she lays down right next to the trough and goes to pushing. By 6:15 she is licking the calf off. All of it just a few feet from the feed trough and barn. While all the other cows stood around smelling her.

Never seen one not go off aways from herd. Usually I spend hours back in the woods or think brush trying to find the missing Cow. Guess she made chores easy feed and observe calving all in one step. :lol:
 
There are some that will wander off and than their are some that will seek comfort of company.. The wost are the ones that seek someone else who just calved and try to mother that one instead of their own... It can be real fun wihen you get a big group bunch up and momma calves in the middle.
 
Aw............where's the pictures? :???:

Your story reminds me of when Al's cow, Blondie, had Tillie........she tried and tried to get off by herself, but we had her here in the field at the house, so we could watch her, and the two milk cows just wouldn't let her alone......... :roll: Finally, Tillie was born in front of an audience. I always thought Blondie would have much rather "done it on her own" without so much help from the dairy stock.

Congrats on a healthy calf!
 
The best is when they decide to calve right in the middle of feeding. Then all the cows with claves have to come over and either figure out if it is their calf, or just tell the new mother how things need to be done. One minute later the cows with calves figure out that it isn't their calf and mayhem breaks loose!!!!!!!!!

That is why God made us caretakers to stand back and make sure that the "dumb" girls can figure it out on their own!!! I swear, there is nothing better than getting in to full swing of calving and watching how goofy cows can be!!!
 
Was down at my neighbors helping him one day and we decided to ride out and check his heifers that were calving.

To make a long story short, there were two heifers laying within about 10 feet from each other and both were pushing. After the first one finished calving, the other one got up and walked over to it and started licking it. After a few minutes she laid down and had hers but wouldn't pay attention to it.

After all was said and done, they had swapped calves with each other.

If we hadn't been watching we would have never known.............
 
kolanuraven said:
aminus....you must be new in the cow biz then.
Click to expand...
:???:

Take it back to Political Bull. Or even Bull Session. But keep it out of Ranch Talk - PLEASE.
 
Mike said:
Was down at my neighbors helping him one day and we decided to ride out and check his heifers that were calving.

To make a long story short, there were two heifers laying within about 10 feet from each other and both were pushing. After the first one finished calving, the other one got up and walked over to it and started licking it. After a few minutes she laid down and had hers but wouldn't pay attention to it.

After all was said and done, they had swapped calves with each other.

If we hadn't been watching we would have never known.............
Click to expand...
We had that happen with a couple of heifers a few years ago, Mike. They laid down close to each other to calve and swapped calves. I had my wife with me, so...that just wasn't acceptable (a maternal instinct thing?). She asked me if I wanted to pen them both to straighten them out or just try one pair at a time...

My response was "Huh?!?!?" I drove off getting my ass chewed out, but most of us were satisfied. :lol:

Those two heifers shared those calves all the way up until weaning.
 
Texan said:
kolanuraven said:
aminus....you must be new in the cow biz then.
Click to expand...
:???:

Take it back to Political Bull. Or even Bull Session. But keep it out of Ranch Talk - PLEASE.
Click to expand...


DUH.....it's a comment on a cow calving and his " shock" @ her calving where she did, thus he must be new to the cow biz to be shocked at this. Pray tell me how that goes to Politcal Bull?

You've gone nutty!
 
kolanuraven said:
aminus....you must be new in the cow biz then.
Click to expand...

I am sure I would be considered pretty new by most on here. I figured this was not the first time it ever happened. Just for me it seems the norm is I spend a couple hours looking for them in the woods or thicket when it comes calving time.

Was new to me to trip over one laying beside the feed trough.
 
If you've got wild cows...yeah looking in the brush for hours on end tends to be the " norm"....but if you've got well fed well mannered cows they usually won't venture to the 'back of beyond' to calve.
 
kolanuraven said:
If you've got wild cows...yeah looking in the brush for hours on end tends to be the " norm"....but if you've got well fed well mannered cows they usually won't venture to the 'back of beyond' to calve.
Click to expand...

That would explain it then. She is an ex show heifer. Last year she got out and I found her in the neighbors field amongst a hundred cows. Neighbor was are you sure that is her. I got out of truck walked to the middle of the field and put a show halter on her and led her out of the field. He knew it was her then. :)
 
Texan said:
Mike said:
Was down at my neighbors helping him one day and we decided to ride out and check his heifers that were calving.

To make a long story short, there were two heifers laying within about 10 feet from each other and both were pushing. After the first one finished calving, the other one got up and walked over to it and started licking it. After a few minutes she laid down and had hers but wouldn't pay attention to it.

After all was said and done, they had swapped calves with each other.

If we hadn't been watching we would have never known.............
Click to expand...
We had that happen with a couple of heifers a few years ago, Mike. They laid down close to each other to calve and swapped calves. I had my wife with me, so...that just wasn't acceptable (a maternal instinct thing?). She asked me if I wanted to pen them both to straighten them out or just try one pair at a time...

My response was "Huh?!?!?" I drove off getting my ass chewed out, but most of us were satisfied. :lol:

Those two heifers shared those calves all the way up until weaning.
Click to expand...

Maternal instinct? Or Woman instinct? (Boss, just the same) :lol:

On these cows we actually did pen the calves with their mamas because they were registered and figured it would be best............
 
Regardless of TeXan wanting to pick a fight, I do know cows.....most hand fed, show cows or pet cows will usually NOT go off to calve.

It seems and most agree,that if they've been handled a lot they seem to loose a bit of that instinct to run off and hide.
 
I have noticed that the Heifers in general rather it be show or just retained ones, do not venture as far away as the older cows. Last year we had two heifers calve within one day of each other, they both only went about 300 yards from the barn to calve. This year with their second calf they were in the woods 1/2 mile from the barn hiding out.
 
kolanuraven said:
Texan said:
kolanuraven said:
aminus....you must be new in the cow biz then.
Click to expand...
:???:

Take it back to Political Bull. Or even Bull Session. But keep it out of Ranch Talk - PLEASE.
Click to expand...


DUH.....it's a comment on a cow calving and his " shock" @ her calving where she did, thus he must be new to the cow biz to be shocked at this. Pray tell me how that goes to Politcal Bull?

You've gone nutty!
Click to expand...
Of course you're right, kola. I must have been thinking about somebody else? I was thinking about somebody that loses debates in Political Bull and goes on the attack in the Coffee Shop and Ranch Talk with little smartass shots like that. Someone who has done that to FH and katrina on more than one occasion. You sure that's not you?

I guess I just jumped to the conclusion that you were doing the same thing with aplus (it's not aminus) because you always lose out with him, too. And I thought it would be better to try to keep Ranch Talk a place where all of us at least make an effort to get along and help each other. My mistake.
 
that is the way I read it first also Texan.......thought for sure there was gonna be a full blown "discussion" over here, just like political bull.

thanks for popping in and putting the brakes on it.
 
Puttin the brakes on....ON WHAT you dim whit?


I didn't see any of you wise and sage worthy cattle men coming up and answering the mans question.

If both you and girlfriend TeXan would quit going around hunting for a fight you might accidentally learn something. I SERIOUSLY doubt it but even a blind squirrel will find a nut every now and then.

YOU need to quit poking your hairy nose where it don't belong.
 
kolanuraven said:
Puttin the brakes on....ON WHAT you dim whit?


I didn't see any of you wise and sage worthy cattle men coming up and answering the mans question.

If both you and girlfriend TeXan would quit going around hunting for a fight you might accidentally learn something. I SERIOUSLY doubt it but even a blind squirrel will find a nut every now and then.

YOU need to quit poking your hairy nose where it don't belong.
Click to expand...

Was not really any question, just a talking point for friendly conversation on how unpredictable heifers can be.

But for the record I did not get offended by Kolan's comment. I can see where it might sound like an inexperienced observation.

But I also see why Texan and Jigs thought it might be flammable. But I really can separate conversations of Cattle and Politics.
 

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