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
The Kitchen's Garden 
61 responses to “Meet Talia”
Goodness what an adventure! Fingers crossed.
Oh Aunty Del, you are so clever and your Talia is beautiful. Sending love to you and your great team Celi. x
Happy birthday Talia!! XOXO – Bacon
What a beautiful little baby! I’m so glad you were ALL there and saw and were able to be in action.
Linda
Fingers crossed for Talia. Looking forward to lots of photos.
I’m exhausted just reading this. What a lovely baby. I do hope all is well for both of them. I feel a bit frightened for them both. Keeping good thoughts though for all of you.
Congratulations. I hope she grows up healthy and vigorous.
Whew!
The person who wrote “How Ya Gonna Keep ’em Down on the Farm, Once They’ve Seen Paree” didn’t know The Kitchens Garden. Never has so much drama on nearly a daily basis occurred. Reading today’s post had me (like the others above) in tears and chills and on the edge of my seat.
And the reason I’m here early is because at breakfast, my husband said to me as he was reading the paper, “A tornado touched down in Pontiac.”. I jumped up and went to see if you were okay and here’s Meet Talia!!
Superb !…..u r lucky indeed you have witnessed such nice event !
Brava, Lady Del – you have done us all proud. And what a blessing you had lots of extra hands – otherwise we should not have had those terrific pictures. It’s great to see Miss C doing her stuff. I hope baby Thalia thrives and proves a real joy to Farmy and Fellowship.
love,
ViV
Oops, I’ve mis-spelled the baby’s name. Sorry Talia.
Hey Viv! I looked it up and Thalia is the muse of comedy. Not such an awful error, eh, girl? Much love, Your Gayle
My apologies: I have probably led some astray to different spelling . . . .the farmy calf is definitely a ‘Talia’ . . . ’tis just my daughter who decided to spell hers with an ‘h’ . . . 11am in E Australia – trust all is OK!!
You are amazing!!!! All that goes on and yet you keep posting. That is a sweet mama and calf.
Wow! What an ordeal! So Ms C- what’s high calcium hay?
alfalfa hay. c
Okay. Gottcha.
Oh my goodness, congratulations! And I’ve got fingers crossed for Talia.
Great work, Team Farmy!