Questions Answered!

I am so relieved today. I've gotten some answers to some much needed animal problems around here!

1st - Jack is about 6 months old

2nd - we are probably ahead of mare foaling, she should wax more, and bag get bigger, HOWEVER Vet did agree that she is showing signs of being more advanced, and that first time mares dont always have the waxing or big bag..it could be a sign that her milk wont come in.

So she is back out of the barn for now with a watchful eye on her in her lot.

3rd- Called Vet to come out and tend to King, his lameness is NO better and I was worried about permanent lameness. And his pain was painful for me to see!

A. He is MUCH younger than we thought - Vet guessed 10 - 15 years old, maybe 18 - 20 but he didnt really feel he was that old! WOW!!!!!

B - He is in perfect health (except for hoof which I'll go into in a minute) and perfect weight.

C. He has an abscess in his front right hoof. (and NO he isnt club footed like the dentist said, he probably turns that one foot in more but not a problem, should wear boots when exercised hard)

The vet dug and dug and dug in my boys hoof....finding his frog has just overgrown majorly, said thats not uncommon and will maybe just be an issue with him. After we (and yes I got to help him the whole way!) cleaned his hoof, shaved down to the white, we used that big thing that looks like something you'd pull a giants tooth with, to check pain with pressure. We went all around his hoof, and the pain all through out. We started with the right side of his hoof, found a black line indicating an abscess (that was my guess and I was right!) but couldnt get to the bottom of it...I checked the pain with that doomahicky again and found that the left side was more sore, got to digging there and the abscess showed itself and immediately began to drain! WOO HOO we found the problem! His hoof was packed with some tarry meds, wrapped with Vet wrap (trust me that Vet knows how to wrap, it aint coming off or going anywhere until I need to cut it off), given a tetanus shot, and a big dose of antibiotics. He was given some bute paste....he really needed it for the pain. I talked to him about that article that you read to me Kacy and he said that really the benefits outweighed the cons. If his abscess was worse then he wouldnt use it he said, he'd go to something else, or nothing even.

He will get a penicillin shot once a day of 25mg, and bute paste 2x a day for a week (both) until antibiotic and bute gone. Boot can be removed after a week, and after that, he should be good to go! It wasnt bad, but it was all through out his hoof...so that makes it bad in one way, however the abscess wasnt a huge hole, rather a long narrow hole like a worm does to an apple.

I learned also how to keep a horse from leaning on you (like he tends to do) when you work with his feet..You lean into and take a step forward, making them take a side step back and forces them off of you and their mind off of leaning, for a few minutes anyway! LOL King eventually saw the Vet wasnt going to tolerate his antics, and gave up on the leaning!

I'm so happy! I wish the foal would have been coming this weekend...but at least its nice to know what to look for (thanks guys a bunch) and to have the Vet look her over and tell me not to worry just yet!

And I'm SOOOO pleased to learn that I'll have many more years with my boy!!!!

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

~*~RAE~*~

1:00 AM Check in on Georgia!

Things are getting so close now! We checked around 10pm tonight and still standing quietly. Now its 1 am and Georgia is restless. She let me rub on her head, Kasy - I tried what you suggested about pushing below her lower lip..she resisted at first and then just held the pressure..Your sooooo right!!! Thanks for that wonderful tip! I didn't want to bother her for too long, threw her some hay...no interest in eating at all. She is pacing now, licking at her side, raising her tail as if she is trying to make herself more comfortable. Belly was moving around a lot could be the colt moving, however didn't look like his movements earlier, her whole side seemed to tense a little. As you can see by her dusty coat she is laying around, and has a little "nest". I was surprised to see that with her restlessness she was very calm around me again tonight! WOW such a HUGE change in behaivor. I guess feeding her these last weeks and Norm holding her to let me rub on her head, neck and side, has done her a world of good, I think she isnt seeing me as a predator, but a good thing!!!!!!!! MAJOR progress! I think I've gained a little more trust with her today! Will forgo the every hour check and make it every 30 minutes. Will update again!

Today in Pictures..and Georgia UPDATE! Any Minute Now!!!!!

Evening ya'll!

First let me thank Peggy and Liz BUNCHES for all the information on foaling! Such invaluable info! Also to Don for all the help with Georgia and for being so patient with me when I call to ask so many questions! I've truly learned A LOT from you all!

Doug does have Tonsillitis, he is on antibiotic, but the doctor told us until he has multiple recurrences its not time to remove them! Yea no surgery, but terrible for any child to have to

go through that many bouts of it! By the way I learned today that he is 4' 11" tall....he'll be taller than me before school is out for sure!
Douglas learned how and made the most awesome rabbit trap today! Thanks Norm for helping to show him how to use all the tools and create such a great project for school! Its perfect and a show in for an AAAA+

Georgia should foal within 24 hours! Somewhere between 2 and 4 pm today she presented with a discharge that's thick and stringy, tinged with blood...its called "springing". For two weeks now her bag has been full and tight, she HAS had a waxy build up on her teats, and the muscles next to her tail have caved in. She is rolling and licking a lot and her belly has dropped REAL low today. She is somewhat restless.

I will be checking on her every hour tonight, at this point the foal can come at any minute.

I am so excited!!

Diet week - lost 4 pounds already!!!!

Calf count- will update tomorrow I didn't go check cows/calves today with Norm and I forgot what he told me!

Torro Day 3/Mare Update/Calf count/Egg laying has stopped????

I was lucky enough to get a picture of the very first calf born this year! Can you see him??? Next are the first pictures of Torro taken, at a day old. What a cutie!!!!

Torro started out at just over a pint of milk, but wanted more. However not to shock his system and give him scours, we held off for two days feeding a watered down version of milk. He has acted like it wasnt enough so today tried him on a full bottle -full strength and sucked it down, wanting more! My goodness he will be an eater! This afternoon I gave him 1 1/2 bottles (3 quarts) and he filled up and only left a couple sucks of emptying the last bottle! He now knows who his mother is - ME- and follows me everywhere now. He finally got his legs last night, he looked bow legged at first and I was a little worried he had a deformity, but the straightened up good. I exercise him and get him to walk and run as much as I can. He helps me feed the rest of the barn. staying so close that when I stop I have a calf head running into my rear! LOL He jumped, kicking up his heels today for the first time! He is also getting some vitamines every 8 hours , 1/2 ounce due to size, its called Dairy and Beef Multi-Drench. So the critical part is over, unless he scours then its something to really watch, especially at this age, but he is very healthy and active and a great eater, good signs!
Pepper has now filled up a full carton of her cute little brown eggs! However she stopped laying for 3 days!! Any one know why??? Is this normal?

I have finally been by to see everyone, couldnt leave comments for a few, but I have been to everyone I follow! I'm so glad to have cought up!

I've had some new visitors and I want to tell you thanks for coming over to say hello! I hope you'll come back and visit some more! I'll come by and check out your blogs soon, tonight and tomorrow look to be busy....but I can't wait to check your little spot of the world out!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Georgia Update:

We have approximately 2 1 1/2 weeks until she foals...Today her bag has really filled in, and she had some discharge. I wish I knew more what to look for...again any suggestions and info on a mare foaling?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Calf Count

8 - On the Hill

7 - Poodles

5 - Heifers

Total as of 2/25 4:29pm = 20

Calf Lost (included in total above)

3

Making live calves

17

Calf Loss Reasons : 1- still birth

1- Buzzards

1- infection in navel area

Twin Count

1 set - Torro (rejected) and brother/buzzards

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

So yes Kim they can and do sometimes have twins, not often..BUT there are exceptions to every rule. 2008 we had 5 sets of twins and mother took care of both twins, except for on - Oliver...which is one the main reason you get a bottle fed calf. 5 sets is ALOT, only sometimes to you get one..one of our bulls must be throwing twins. So we'll see how many more (if any) we get this year. last year we lost 13 calves - LARGE loss, but the twins help make up for that, and making it 8 loss - 4 or 5 is an average with this many cattle. Last year was super rough on them, the mud was just too much for those little calves.

We usually have a calf for every cow so we are expecting 170 calves...Next year we'll add 20 to that count..if we keep the heifer calves we want to keep this year. It all depends on the grain market.

Sold 20 of the heifer calves yesterday...smaller blacks and some of our Marchigiana mix whites. This is the dumbest thing...the feeder lots prefer an all black calf and will dock you for a white...HOW STUPID..they all eat the smae, but they say (supposedly) that all blacks eat more and gain more...hmmmm not sure on that at all.

Okay so here is the market:

Heifers averaging 430 pounds each brought 78.5 cents a pound (all blacks)

Heifers averaging 646 pounds each brought 75.5( mixed colors mostly blacks)

Thats the average we saw last night. Some heifers brought more than steers which is really differant steers bring more for the most part.

We are still feeding silage, but the mud has forced us out of the troughs and into the field laying it in wind rows and luckily the cows are eating it off the ground, in fact cleaning it up. Cows are fickle creatures, they often dont accept change - at least for a long time.

Well thats all for the report - Oh and Douglas made all A's and B's and Norm is WAY ahead of most who have had the same surgery....so the worry is gone that he will hurt himself...well at least my worry, it could still happen for a time he needs to be careful...Ha whatever, Norm Careful.