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”
A feast of babies, how wonderful, Do take care when near Elsie and mind your hand, it has plenty of work to do in the future so may need to be pampered for a few days. I can just imaging the chatter of those girls on their return journey, about all the adventures they had while with you over Easter. Memories that will stay with they for all their lives!
What a grand surprise baby! Sorry for your troubles in the milking though. I eagerly await the next posting to see if mama settles down and cooperates. Good luck!
WOW!!! All the comments!!! I’m getting here late today. So sorry Ms E is being so cantankerous… Remember your health and safety is the most important thing!!! They farm needs you more than you need the milk! Hugs and prayers!
I didn’t have time to read all your comments, so if this has been said, please forgive me. You can take both babies and graft them onto Elsie. It’s a huge job, but can be done. Then you milk your other cows all the time. Also when you feed the babies you keep them separate until Elsie is in the barn then you let the calves out to feed–twice a day. We used to feed four calves at a time on a ‘bad milker’—broke my wrist once and gave me a black eye. She gave tons of milk (5 gallons) but resisted milking, but hand or machine.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer
I hope Lady A has her calf soon, then I will certainly try this.. does it matter if baby number two comes to Elsie a few weeks later?
Two many weeks and it could be trouble as the cow will adjust her milk for her one calf. The real trick is if Elsie will let the calf suck. But stantioned and hobbled she really won’t have any choice. Oh, yes, she could hold her milk for the new calf. You can put vinegar on the new calf and on the old calf and on the cows noses so all she smells is apple cider vinegar, that sometimes tricks her into thinking the two calves are both hers.
I used the wrong too…it should read too many weeks…not two many weeks.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer
You have to put the calves in one pen and the cow only gets to have the babies at feeding time. It’s a huge job, but worth it.
Also, in my comment below I mentioned hobbling…for those who don’t know hobbling doesn’t hurt the cow, it just keeps her from being able to raise her hoof and give you or a calf or a milk bucket a swift kick.
yes.. well we will see what happens next. i really don’t think Lady A will go soon, her udder and teats are still quite small..
I’m astonished by the new arrival. I was thinking at least another month. You won’t find me giving advice. Just congrats. All the new arrivals are sweeter than sweet-looking. I love how the chicks are so different. I’m wondering if there’s such a thing as Angie’s List for farmers. The one who sold you Elsie needs to be thumbed-down.
I turn away for one second and…
Beauty of a little calf. Maybe the new mom will settle down – even human moms are a bit touchy – and this one has had a lot of changes in her life fairly quickly – or she may just be who she is – a bit ornery. TIme will tell.
Take care being alone out there.
Congratulations! Elsie may settle down after she learns the routine. Adding a new baby to the mixture is sure to set things back a step or two. Good luck. Stay safe!
So many babies are the farmy now!!!! The girls and I are chomping at the bit to come visit. I need to make room on my calendar!!!
A somber reminder how quickly things can get serious when working with large animals. We see all the adorable, charming, beautiful photos and as viewers we can forget how large and dangerous the animals can be, intentionally or not. But my, what a lovely surprise! Let’s hope she won’t have the personality of her mother. I am sure you will have your “cow-speak” on with the new one.
What an exciting surprise! I hope the milking becomes easier!
Beautiful calf. I am a beef-cow girl and do not know very much about dairy cattle (although my husband’s family had a dairy … I just didn’t get to work on it). From my beef cow experiences, I can’t imagine a mama cow getting separated from her calf very easily every evening. Good luck!! I hope Lady Astor has the personality for it!!
The calves go into a creep area, where the cows cannot go, to get their grain in the evening. And I just shut the door. That bit is easy, the milking bit is my problem at the moment..
The new calf and chicks are beauties but Elsie, well, bloody hell. Possibly used cow and used car salesmen have things in common. But you tried, and have plans B, C and so on… and yet more experience under your belt!
Late on site: the going of Daylight Saving has made more than one difference! Wonderful to find little babies and that beautiful big one – am so glad it was a heifer at last. I guess it is day by day and hour by hour deciding on the steps to come . . . good luck and take care!! I like Lily . . . methinks Dingo is a wee bit masculine, but if the shoe fits . . .
When I read that you hadn’t chosen a name yet, my first thought was Lily (or Lillie) because of her Easter birth. But Nanster beat me to it. Perhaps a soft and gentle name will help her grow to be a gentle milk cow. I’m guessing Miss Elsie is just confused about what the heck you’re trying to do – that’s never happened before when she had a calf. I think you said this is her fourth, so you may not have much luck in teaching an old cow a new trick. If it was her first or second it might have been simpler to convince her. If she stays long enough to have another calf, the extra time on the farmy (and hopefully the good example of Lady A) might make a difference.
In any event, you’ve got a lovely little heifer! We’ll keep our fingers crossed for another one from Lady A.
Best of luck and stay safe.
Chris S in Canada
Oh bother. Elsie sure didn’t behave very well. The little heifer is lovely and it’s a good thing she had an easy birth. How do you help a cow who needs it but won’t let you near? Not a good situation. I think you might be able to gentle her but not soon enough to milk her this year. I would suggest visiting familycow.proboards.com and maybe using some of the techniques that Joe and Kathleen use with their horses (yes, I know horses are different than cows, but the trust and training can be adapted http://thesoulofahorse.com/blog/lessons-from-zeke-already/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheSoulOfAHorseBlog+%28The+Soul+Of+A+Horse+Blog%29). My dad worked on his brother-in-law’s farm when he was young and was the one milking the cows, he told me about using a rope to stop the cow from kicking (http://www.grit.com/animals/teaching-a-dairy-cow-not-to-kick.aspx – this is what he was talking about). If she just isn’t going to cooperate at least you have the heifer and you can just breed Elsie for calves.