The first steps in any new venture are exciting, and I was impatiently waiting for Snowdrop to have her first calf. Our belted Galloway herd was established in March 2023, and since our purchase of Acorn the bull I have been anxiously waiting for the first of his pedigree calves to be born.
Two days ago, at the start of a rare break in the rain this summer, another of our cows, Injustice (I didn’t name her!), had a lovely little bull calf. He was hidden in the rushes, full of milk while Snowdrop was calving. He will be sold for meat in about three years, but we’re holding out for a female calf – a heifer – who could add to the number of the herd.
To pass the time, I walked up and down the lane picking raspberries. There are such a lot of raspberries this year. We don’t strim the edges of the road, which is not always a popular decision with neighbours, and it is interesting to see which plants grow next to the drystone walls. Meadowsweet and vetches battle the raspberries for space. I managed to fill a sandwich bag with raspberries and another with gooseberries from the garden before the calf was born.
I kept a safe distance (the scar on my forehead from a previous calving incident is a reminder to do this) and watched Snowdrop cleaning the calf. It was already trying to stand, and Snowdrop was cleaning the birthing fluids off her.
Meticulous cleaning is a sign of good mothering. The licking stimulates the calf to breathe and get up, and encourages the calf to look for its first milk. After the calf had been encouraged to stand and feed, then I could see it was nicely marked with a good, wide belt. The licking and feeding will also encourage a strong bond between cow and calf.
Once the calf has had some colostrum, the cow will hide it until it is big enough to walk and run, returning to feed it periodically. The calf instinctively knows only to stand when its mother comes and keep itself safely hidden.
The next morning my son went to see the calf and reported back that it was indeed a heifer. Her pedigree name will be LowBorrowbridge Antonella – meaning the firstborn.
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