farmerjan
Super Self-Sufficient
We have had several nights in the teens... Mon-Tues-Wed were 17, 16 and 15 .... days in the upper 30's and very low 40's but the wind chill had it around the freezing mark. Wed night/Thursday morning only got down to 31, warmed up to 44 on recording thermometer but the wind was biting... I wear flannel lined jeans and my legs were none too warm up doing the cow and calves this afternoon...
We have had some flurries that don't amount to much.... Ground is cold enough for it to stick though.
Tonight at 10 p.m., it was down to 18... tomorrow is not supposed to barely hit 35 but then warming over the next few days like @Mini Horses .....
Put calf coats on the 2, 3 week old calves the other day because the wind was going right through everything. Takes too much to keep up their core body heat when they can't nurse whenever they want. I leave the cow in with them for 12-24 hours.. according to my work schedule... and I have had a bad cold so have been doing 24 in and 24 out... I feed the one calf a supplemental bottle when I bring the cow in so the other calf can get more milk... she does not seem to make enough for 2 calves.
This is a recently bought cow, with a jersey calf with her... said it was her calf... but she had pure "white milk" not colostrum so they weren't telling the truth... We checked her when we got her home and she had milk in all 4 quarters, so I naturally assumed she would have too much for just one calf; but she is a good momma, accepting of the jersey calf, and took the added calf ( a holstein bull) I got to put on her, not realizing she was not making a whole bunch of milk.... She has learned the routine real good, is good dispositioned, and allows both calves to suck. Since she is getting grain regular, I think her production has increased as the "extra calf" (holstein) does not want a bottle when she has been in with them for the 24 hrs. She goes right to the bunk to eat and they go right on her. Then I entice the holstein to take the bottle, the jersey gets more milk, and then when finished with the bottle, he goes right back on her. They both are starting to get into the bunk feeder and try some of the grain and drink some water.
This biting wind made me decide to put the calf coats on them... last year I had several during that cold 10-20 degree weather we had before Christmas, and got coats for them, so figured why not. It keeps their core body heat in, and they are not using all their energy to stay warm. They didn't like them at first, but have accepted them now. Cow seems to not care one way or another...
Today I was very glad they had the coats... It was just COLD with that wind blowing...
We have had some flurries that don't amount to much.... Ground is cold enough for it to stick though.
Tonight at 10 p.m., it was down to 18... tomorrow is not supposed to barely hit 35 but then warming over the next few days like @Mini Horses .....
Put calf coats on the 2, 3 week old calves the other day because the wind was going right through everything. Takes too much to keep up their core body heat when they can't nurse whenever they want. I leave the cow in with them for 12-24 hours.. according to my work schedule... and I have had a bad cold so have been doing 24 in and 24 out... I feed the one calf a supplemental bottle when I bring the cow in so the other calf can get more milk... she does not seem to make enough for 2 calves.
This is a recently bought cow, with a jersey calf with her... said it was her calf... but she had pure "white milk" not colostrum so they weren't telling the truth... We checked her when we got her home and she had milk in all 4 quarters, so I naturally assumed she would have too much for just one calf; but she is a good momma, accepting of the jersey calf, and took the added calf ( a holstein bull) I got to put on her, not realizing she was not making a whole bunch of milk.... She has learned the routine real good, is good dispositioned, and allows both calves to suck. Since she is getting grain regular, I think her production has increased as the "extra calf" (holstein) does not want a bottle when she has been in with them for the 24 hrs. She goes right to the bunk to eat and they go right on her. Then I entice the holstein to take the bottle, the jersey gets more milk, and then when finished with the bottle, he goes right back on her. They both are starting to get into the bunk feeder and try some of the grain and drink some water.
This biting wind made me decide to put the calf coats on them... last year I had several during that cold 10-20 degree weather we had before Christmas, and got coats for them, so figured why not. It keeps their core body heat in, and they are not using all their energy to stay warm. They didn't like them at first, but have accepted them now. Cow seems to not care one way or another...
Today I was very glad they had the coats... It was just COLD with that wind blowing...
. Been up for a while -- heat pumping. I'm definitely chilled. Not looking forward to chores and running errands this morn. Brrr.
