A real surprise. 
Elsie has given birth to a wee heifer. She was already here when I went out to do the chores yesterday morning so the girls got to see her before departing. They had the best visit.
The calf is a beautiful wee bouncy heifer she has the same markings as her mother on one side but otherwise she is all black. We will keep her and train her to be a milk cow in a few years. Unlike her mother who is not a natural house cow at all. 
I milked Elsie yesterday evening she was dripping milk rapidly but she did not like those cups and kicked like a crazy thing. I did get her milked but it was most unpleasant not to mention dangerous. As she has raised her own calves in the past my plan was to share milk with her. After things settle down – Putting the baby in the barn at night, milking in the morning, then letting them be together in the day, then separate for the night again. This routine works for a lot of people. But it depends on a cow who will cooperate. After a few months I would wean the baby off and take over all the milking myself getting lots of cream and butter. Well, that was the plan.
I shall try again today and if she has not settled by the end of the day I will let the calf take over full time and hope that Lady Astor is more willing. There is no point pushing this into the realms of illness. Hers or mine. Plus I work alone, the risk of injury to me is very real and then I have a very real terror of mastitis and will not take any risks. Elsie has always been flighty and prone to wacking me. Lady is a lot calmer. Hopefully I can milk one of them.
But I am feeling demoralised after the attempts at milking her yesterday. After all her training I was hoping she would do a little better than this. 
I don’t know what else to say. I am going out to have another go. But I am not going to force her – though all my plans revolve around having a milk cow. We will see.
The good news is that every egg, except one, hatched out. Now we have a whole hoard of fluffy chicks in the brooder. 
A very good result indeed. At the beginning of next month the turkey eggs arrive. I hope those do as well!
Good morning. I am girding my loins. Ready to give this cow my best shot. Elsie was going to need time to settle to milking so I must keep positive.
This calf has quite the look. I am not sure of her name yet. I hope you have a lovely day,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
113 responses to “A Surprise Baby”
Beautiful new baby heifer. Ears up in that shot. She’s on alert, isn’t she? Hopefully, you will be able to tame the new wee heifer a little at a time. Take good care of that wrist tho. Heat and cold alternating is what they always say, isn’t it? Congrats on a successful birth, regardless. And the chicks look great, so fluffy. Too bad the girls couldn’t stay a bit longer. I know you’re disappointed. Hang in there.
Yes you can’t knock an easy birth like that..
You cannot even begin to imagine how much I love calves. So many memories of feeding calves as a young girl and adopting one heifer as my special one, the calf I named Princess.
Oh my do be careful! As Veronica said we are getting too old for those sort of shenanigans! Hope your wrist is ok and just bruised. I think your really brave to even try to milk her when she is not at all friendly. I never feel comfy walking through a field of cows when we are out for a walk! But anyway it’s wonderful that she gave birth to a healthy baby, and great news about the chicks Look after yourself x
Well this explains why Elsie was sporting such a fine udder a few days ago! What a beautiful wee girl. I like John’s thinking…Elsie supplied her replacement. So sorry that Elsie isn’t working out to be a satisfactory milk cow and after reading the comments, so glad you weren’t seriously injured! How about Blossom or Violet as a gentle (and hopefully she will be) Spring name for a Spring heifer?
Very exciting…all these births. Can’t wait to see what you name the calf. Do be careful with Elsie. Maybe your original plan has another ending you didn’t anticipate that’s even better!
What a joyful surprise, to walk out in the morning and find the new calf already there. It doesn’t get any easier than that…so sorry to hear that Elsie is not cooperating. As everyone else has said, be careful, the rest of the farm needs you too much to risk injury.
The happiest days are when babies come! Sending good energy to Elsie to hope she settles for milking. You know how overwhelming it feels to have a new baby yourself. I’m sure she feels similar and so all these cups and milking and separations are making her quite testy!
You be real careful Celie, my poor father got kicked several times and did not help him stay healthy as he got older. Those bay chicks are cute.
A lovely surprise but Elsie sounds like she has done you some damage – maybe the writing is on the wall for her? You can’t put yourself at risk like this 😦 Congrats too on the chickies – all but one is an incredible result!
How wonderful!! I am in in total agreement with how you are approaching milking! Great to hear about the chicks!!
Easter Lily…..maybe Lily would be a nice name…..take care !
I like Lily!
Hooray for the new heifer! I hope everything works out and you get your milk. When will our Aunty Del be ready to breed?
Aunty can give birth t a calf at two years old. So if she keeps growing well I will breed her in about 6 months.. have not done the maths tho so don’t quote me.. c
Daphne would be the name I would pick. As for the milking, maybe Elsie was in the overprotective new mama stage. She knows the milk keeps her calf healthy and she didn’t want you to take from the supply. Please be careful and don’t push it if Elsie remains feisty at milking time
I would also cut Elsie some slack as a new mama. Keep a regular routine and maybe she’ll settle in. I just had a similar problem with a trio of Large Fowl Dominiques I got. I was told the cock bird was docile, but for the first week here at a new place, that surely wasn’t what I saw. I’ve been out just sitting with him and his two girls for a while every day and they’re finally starting to relax. Those belted cows don’t seem to me like the overly domesticated commercial dairy breeds, their protective instincts might be stronger. Hopefully you can find a way to deal with this that doesn’t involve getting hurt.
How wonderful the girls got to see the calf before leaving. Sounds like you are wise indeed to go softly after the milk. Cows look so gentle, I had no idea they could be so dangerous but then any mother can be. Wonderful photos of the whole new gang. Do stay careful. I know things can happen to farmers working alone. Heck even to housekeepers working alone. 😦 What an Easter you’ve had.
I think you need to gear-up as if you’re playing Aussie-rules footie. Or cricket. Crumbs, c.
How about Beatrix, Margriet or Juliana, some of the Dutch royals’ names? Though I do like nanster’s Easter Lily. I am so sorry about your wrist, & hope it is not very badly hurt. The blessing is the birth was apparently easy & natural for Elsie who didn’t trouble you to be up all night with her, & as John says, if need be, she has replaced herself. They are certainly a striking & handsome family, Elsie & ? Judith (or how about good old “Judy”?)