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Somebody was wearing their calf weaner last night–
–but not this morning.
BP: “We’re happy. Leave us alone.”
Yeah. So. I took off looking for it.
Glory Bee came with me. She wasn’t very helpful. She kept pretending she didn’t know what I was doing, and she didn’t want to look me in the eye.
She had worn the calf weaner for 12 days, which was obviously not long enough.
Finding it in the leaf-strewn woods had a zero to zero probability of success, but I gave it a shot.
And was unsuccessful.
Glory Bee could hardly contain herself.
“Cream is sooooo delicious!”
I ordered another calf weaner. And a spare.
First aside: The other evening, when the vet came out to check BP, I went to the vet’s office and had him follow me to the farm. (I was in town anyway to pick up Morgan from volleyball practice, so it just seemed easier than giving him directions.) In the car on the way, I told Morgan to call home and tell 52 to make sure BP was up. “Up” meaning make sure she was up at the gate, handy to bring out for the vet.
Morgan, on the phone: “Mom wants you to wake up BP.”
Visions of 52 out in the field pushing on BP’s shoulder, “Wake up, BP, wake up!” filled my head. I’m lucky I didn’t wreck the car laughing.
Obviously, Morgan doesn’t spend a lot of quality time with the cows.
Second aside: Thanks to reader Jersey Lady, who tapped into her own “cow people” network, I have discovered a Jersey dairy in Roane County! (Real professional dairy people–they sell to Broughton.) I got in touch with them and they are going to AI my cows!
Posted by Suzanne McMinn on October 14, 2011
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I’m so glad you found someone to go “flower power” for you.
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My husband said his father had a weaning halter. It was a halter with spikes over the nose. Maybe like holstein woman said. You could chain it on the halter. If the weaner does not have holes maybe you or 52 can drill some.
It could take 4 or 5 months to wean GB. Sometimes we wean calves and it takes about 4 or 5 months. Some take longer than others. If they get to nurse the cow in that period then you have to start over. I thought you had it worked out when you got the weaner. Looks like she has won the first few bouts, but the fight is not over. Better luck with Al.
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Regarding bull choice-Jersey bulls do not have a calving ease index because all of them throw small calves. It is just the nature of the breed.
Also, your Vet can give two shots in sequence that will bring the Gals into heat at the same time so you can plan your breeding time. It is called synchronizing. Just tell him you want to synch your cows.He probably can just give you the shots made up so you can take them home and do it yourself.Easy, just put into hip muscle. Or talk to the dairy guy about it.
Good Luck! Give a holler if we can be of any more help.
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