Meet Talia

When Aunty Del walked into the milking shed, yesterday afternoon,  for her pratice milking (standing in the stall eating left overs while I brush her) dripping milk all over the floor, Victoria and I looked at each other and blocked off all her exits. She was showng all the signs of imminent labour, dripping milk from her tiny tiny udder and dropping strands of mucous. her tail was up but she refused After she had cleaned up after Lady Astor we manoevered her back into the barn, where Sam and McKenna had laid clean new straw. Within three hours she had delivered Talia. The tiniest heifer. Talia is almost three weeks early. I had to pull her and then revive her so it was touch a go for a while.  Still wearing my milking apron.

Within an hour of delivery Del stumbled and fell to the floor of the barn. I gave her water with molasses where she lay and she drunk heartily and for thirty minutes Sam and I held her head up refusing to let her lie flat out. We gave her high calcium hay that Kevin threw down from the loft and Axel filled her water up to the top.

Suddenly she rose again, heaving her huge body up out of the straw and we all breathed easier.  The Lady Vet (on the other end of some rapid txts thought maybe it was the heat – it was hot).  Not milk fever after all – milk fever was my fear. Hope this does not recur.

Baby was so tiny and weak that while her mother was lying on the floor Victoria thawed and brought out colostrum we had frozen from Lady Astor.  Mouthful by mouthful baby drunk the milk and after her mother finally rose I milked her by hand and gave baby even more. It took Talia a good four hours before she was able to stand.

Del was perfectly well behaved.  A lovely cow to work with.

By 11pm we were all in bed. Aunty, Talia – my startling crew and me.

I checked them a few times in the night and they are OK though Del is still confused about feeding. It all happened so fast to this new mother.  I still think dairy cows (first mothers)  are a bit stupid about calves, beef cows feed their babies so much faster.

This morning Victoria and I will milk her and I will give baby another bottle.  Though she will be with her mother of course.

Phew.  I hope she does well – she is so tiny. When her mother lies down with her head up, baby standing  next to her – comes up to her mothers eye. I can pick her up and move her about easily so I am guessing a little over 50 pounds.

I had no hands at all so told the girls to get the camera and they took these shots for you.

If all is still going well  today  I  will do a photographic series and a special edition this afternoon so you can be introduced to Talia properly.

It is Victoria and Kevin’s last day today – they leave tomorrow. So it is a big last supper tonight.

More soon – must get going.  Today will be pumping.

celi