The little calves are here and they are a lively group. Mostly.
A few are quieter but all are drinking well. I fed them their electrolyte when they arrived last night then later milk with electrolyte mixed in. I have a little bull calf and a wee heifer. The heifers were very cheap. Much cheaper than the bull calves.
My friend bought three heifers two of which are freemartins.
I prefer to feed young animals a little often – erring on the side of well hydrated at the beginning, so last night was pretty busy especially as I have to get in the truck and drive around to the Big Barn every time iI feed them. But they are fine there, it is warm and cosy and they are far away from my piglets.
No sign of scours or anything scary so far. I would say most of them are four or five days old. I will keep up this regime for a week or so before taking them back to three times a day feeds. I think they are Holsteins which are very similar to Friesians. Though I think Freisians are a bit bonier.
There will be pictures tomorrow – they arrived in the dying light of the day, yesterday evening. And feeding all that lot left me very little time for pictures.
Amanda had a 100% hatch rate with her eggs. And they are very pretty. She is thrilled to bits. 
The meat chickens are in their chicken caravan and as it was a warm night I am sure they settled well into their new living quarters.
Early start for me today. So no dawdling. 
I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
40 responses to “Babies in The Barn”
Poor calves being separated from their mothers so young – they got lucky coming to the farmy.
Tima looks very big next to a person – I didn’t realise she’d grown so much 😉
That is The Cadet and yes she is a big girl, I am finding it impossible to slim her down though she is only on grass too.
I remember you said she was too heavy to lift when you took her to the vet. Poor Tima likes her stomach 😉
Yes she does.. She lives by her belly!
I must be related 😉
I have had the same problem with Percy, he looks to be about the same size as Tima. It is surprising as he spends a great deal of his time snoozing rather than eating!
Beautiful little chicks. Aunty Dell suddenly looks like a grown up heifer. Those baby calves feeding schedule sounds hectic. Laura
Just until i get them stabilised – and three will go home with their own owners in mid august.. c
I think I missed something here. You are taking care of calves for other owners?? I better get to reading yesterdays post. I’m falling farther and farther behind. 😦
Yes, i will feed them the milk here – and then the man whose calves they are will help me with fencing later in the summer – we are bartering..
Ah!! What a wonderful way to deal with all the needs of farming. Bartering is making a comeback in all areas again. Thank you for taking the time to explain.
Enchanting, as ever. I hope you manage to sleep in between feeds! Just like being a new MuM!
Enjoy the babies.
love,
ViV xox
It is – but only until they all start to drink vigorously – they are all shiny and bright eyed though which is great!
Kitty picture along with calve and chick pictures. My day has started off superbly. Thank you!
More calf pictures on the way – Egoli is so photogenic .. c
The cows’ faces always make me feel so peaceful.
And it is so nice to Have Lady Astor behaving peacefully too!
Do you have separate muck boots/shoes for when you are at the other barn? Just curious because of what can be carried in on shoes has been known to make puppies and kittens very ill, so I am wondering about Cows and Piglets and baby chicks.
Yes – I encourage everyone to wear separate footwear on the separate farms. now..
So many babies! But I’m curious; what will the freemartin heifers be for? Are they bobbies? And Miss Tima looks happy in her bath, having her ear scratched. I’m so happy to hear good news from the Farmy; long may it continue.
They will be bobbies yes but not here. I am keeping two: a wee heifer and The steer who will be castrated so I can run them all together.. The heifer was an opportunity – we will see what I do – either sell her later on or breed her to a black angus later on..
Oh, I love baby calves. Love. So many good memories attached to them.
Farmers need to know so much that it boggles the mind. I so enjoy seeing all the babies. Thank you for going the extra mile when you probably just need to sleep. 🙂
Those little chicks are so cute! Your pictures are lovely!
Is Tima have a little pedicure here…doing some soaking with a nice ear massage by the cadet 😉
Ha ha ha oh yes, it does look like that too!! c
awww so little to be away from their mothers! Lucky them to have you!
Celi, I wish I had half your energy! The farm certainly sounds like a maternity ward at the moment. I love the idea of bartering and sharing talents.
Gorgeous images Celi .. Always so busy 😃
They’re really pretty Amanda’s chooks! I did not understand quite well, why you’ve bought calves, that you give away again after a short time, although they are expensive this year and why you add so much work to your overfull schedule and why it is not known where they come from – maybe it is farming accountancy what I do not understand and surely due to my lack of farming knowledge and farming language. So I do not know either what “rescue calves” are. Rescued from what? From slaughter? – All that sounds a bit difficult for me but however it is, it seems to be an important thing and herewith right and good for the Farmy. And understood or not – the pictures of today and of yesterday are all great!
Yesterday I was on a bus excursion to a nice old town and an old king’s castle nearby. On our way the bus passed Legoland. Guess whom I was thinking at? At you, Amanda and the hay stacking what you called Lego. Nice.
Have a nice evening!
Celi bought a wee heifer and a bull. The bull will be castrated and used for beef at some future date. The heifer will be kept and perhaps bread at some future date. The other 3 heifers belong to the fencing man and C is taking care of them now in exchange for some fencing to be done in the future – bartering at it’s finest. Does that help?
Bred, not bread — long day
Oh, thank you Vesta for helping me out a bit. This heifer, bull & calves adventure came a bit of a sudden for me, so I had difficulties to understand. It sounds so full of excitement and to be taken care of and a lot of work as well as a bit of risky and dangerous (bacteria, disease and so on). A lot of responsibility anyway. Phew, that’s farm life… – All in all I like that bartering system very much, it’s really great.
Wow! Thank you Vesta you have it perfectly.. c