| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - May 31 2016 : 7:29:07 PM
We have brought home jersey girl number three to the Thompson farmstead, officially know as Koons Bonar Bea. a registered jersey that we happened to find locally.
being a show heiffer, she is as tame as can be. hung out with all the nieces within minutes of us showing up to retrieve her to come home. she doesn't have the adorable white forehead marks that sally and elsa have, but she is lovely.
she was born 3/27/2015 so is 15 months. she was AI'd on 5/18/16, so at 14 months. they used sexed semen from CHILLI ACTION COLTON-ET found here http://www.accelgen.com/catalog/semen-usa/007je01088/cow/print/ .
she is dairy origin, so we are expecting more milk eventually than we would prefer from a heritage jersey. if the AI didn't take we won't be disappointed at all, as we'd choose a different bull to AI her with. but we'll see what life has planned for us...
i know nothing of jersey genetics as i haven't spent my cow research time focusing on that. but here it is for people that find it interesting (and i am sure that i will be one of those people shortly as i educate myself):
- sire Cal-Mart Militia Bonar 3910
- dam Koons Action L Bea
so what are we calling her? well lover boy came up with Mirabelle all on his own, with absolutely no suggestions from me. pretty, and not too common. but note her last name above - Bea. so I thought to call her Beatrice. actually Beatrice Potter. as in Beatrix Potter - the wonderful author, artist, and farm owner that set out to save heritage farms and breeds.
so all the girls love mirabelle, but i am not completely sold. i love the name, but i think i would like something that ties back into her official name.
we'll see...
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jul 15 2016 : 12:29:38 PM
thanks everyone. it isn't my miss sally's baby, but we are excited none the less. also feels like we have a plan again. and now that bea is confirmed, i can get serious about AI'ing sally o'mally. i actually stopped in to see the vet today and walked through the whole process with him so that i could start planning it out. now i am doing a calendar tonight/this weekend and trying to see where we want to go with this over the next two years. lover boy and i are excited in that this gives us choices. we could literally have 3 calves in 2017.
keeley you are a business lady thinking ahead for me. thank you, ideas like that are super-duper in the farm community. it also goes both ways as the seller kept Bea's best buddy, and she was even prettier than bea. i told them if they ever need to get rid of her to send her our way ;> |
| farmlife |
Posted - Jul 14 2016 : 9:00:37 PM
Congratulations, Cindy! You may not be thinking this way yet, but here's something to consider for the future. If you decide you don't want 4 female dairy cows then the people that you bought Bea from may want to buy back the calf if or when you are willing to give her up. Clearly her parentage is something that they would choose. They chose the bull and they wanted to size up, right? That's why they were selling Bea? It gives you a place to start and you would have what you wanted. . . a cow in milk. |
| maryjane |
Posted - Jul 14 2016 : 5:51:19 PM
This is just fantastic news. Yay!!!!! |
| NellieBelle |
Posted - Jul 14 2016 : 5:41:03 PM
Congrats Cindy on Miss Bea's pregnancy! Wahoo, another calf to look forward to. |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jul 14 2016 : 4:49:05 PM
i am going to be a momma!
and guess who is going to calve February 2017? Our own little Miss Bea! Got our preg check email back and it confirms she is pregnant.
the previous owner had actually ai'd her just a week before we found them. it wasn't the bull we would have choosen, as she is a bit bigger than we want going forward and they choose a regular large bull. we aren't disappointed, and figured if it didn't take we would downsize her offspring... but we'll go with this being what is in the works for our future.
here is the Colton semen they used. sexed semen, so 90% chance of heifer. http://www.accelgen.com/catalog/semen-usa/007je01088/cow/print/
for anyone that hasn't done a blood draw preg check, i have to admit that i now think it is the coolest and easiest thing.
we spent $40 and got a kit that can do 10 pregnancy checks. you can buy them singly, but we will do at least 3 this year so wanted to stock up now. the tests are good for a long time, so it doesn't expire in a few months or anything.
this kit actually PREPAYS the lab fees too - so other than shipping or dropping off your blood there is no other expense.
the kit gives you everything you need other than alcohol and wipes to clean the tail, and the actual box to ship to the lab.
we shipped it ground via ups on tues, it arrived at the lab wed pm, and the lab results were in my email thurs before noon. easy peasy.
https://www.biotrackingstore.com/product/biopryn-cattle-kit/
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| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jul 11 2016 : 6:13:16 PM
thanks mary jane. thats what i was thinking too. i also think i have a bit of grace on my side, given her age. as you so wisely mentioned before, what a 1.5 year old heifer can handle in a pasture is totally different than what the elder duchess can't handle... the metabolism and getting older curse we all must face ;>
i am starting with half days in pasture now and think that will make a ton of difference with them all.
oh, and we did our preg check tonight and it will ship out tomorrow. so w e should know friday or monday if she is pregnant. |
| maryjane |
Posted - Jul 07 2016 : 06:32:55 AM
Cindy, based on what WSU told me yesterday, Bea looks perfect right now (I'm amazed at how different she looks already!). However, now is the time to watch and manage her feed and pasture time so she doesn't start putting on extra weight other than what she'll need for a successful pregnancy (once you confirm that:) |
| farmlife |
Posted - Jul 06 2016 : 08:10:28 AM
She is looking much better, Cindy! She and Elsa look awfully sweet together. |
| NellieBelle |
Posted - Jul 06 2016 : 04:20:26 AM
Bea does appear like she has put on some weight Cindy. Looking good! What a nice pastoral photo above. Just peace and tranquility. |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jul 05 2016 : 6:52:58 PM
here is beatrice this weekend. she's really filling out nicely, and she fits in so well with the crowd. she works it between both sally and elsa, so sometimes you'll find her sleeping with one and sometimes with another. here she was being elsa's faithful protector.
we still haven't done bea's preg check. the kit is sitting on the kitchen counter, ready for the blood and then to be mailed in to the lab. perhaps this weekend...
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| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jun 05 2016 : 12:32:17 PM
yes maryjane, its a bit like having the toddler you have to scold and at the same time grinning from ear to ear behind their back. she's giving us a run for our money already. |
| maryjane |
Posted - Jun 04 2016 : 7:41:56 PM
Little Miss Mischief. Kinda naughty cute actually. |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jun 04 2016 : 04:09:34 AM
thanks keeley. we have decided that she is the sneaky one. got into the barn where neither of the girls have ever attempted (over and through chicken fencing). we have our food double gated with gates and such for this specific reason, but she was the only one that even ever attempted such a thing.
then of course she led sally to the dark side, and we found sally joining her the second time. cute calf, but tricky as can be. |
| farmlife |
Posted - Jun 03 2016 : 1:10:16 PM
It sounds like everyone is settling in nicely. Miss Beatrice Potter it is. Names are tricky, but you know when it sticks. :) |
| CloversMum |
Posted - Jun 02 2016 : 4:01:14 PM
Congratulations, Cindy! Miss Beatrice looks lovely and your herd looks ever so much more complete!
What a gift to have found a beautiful heifer right near you ... |
| Sydney2015 |
Posted - Jun 02 2016 : 09:22:47 AM
Bea is beautiful! It sounds like everyone is doing good, good luck with her! |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jun 02 2016 : 06:44:55 AM
and janet i can now officially put one leg inside boots! at least living ruraly there is no one around to see the fashion faux pas ;> |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jun 02 2016 : 06:42:52 AM
girls are really good. i don't think beatrice is happy spending the night in her own corral with the other two in the other. we'll rectify this shortly as we plan that we'll just leave the area around the barn open to them and stop shutting the corrals up for the night - but one side of that has electrical so we are making sure beatrice is trained to it well first.
beatrice pushed elsa around a bit this morning, but elsa provoked it. sally didn't even get involved, so i think the order is setting in. elsa truly doesn't seem to know what is going on, as when she provokes and then gets pushed around she goes off and sulks with her ears back. she came over to me for five minutes with head down between my legs and ears back and just wanted love. she is so sweet and gentle, and i do think this is going to be great for her socialization. |
| maryjane |
Posted - Jun 02 2016 : 05:51:03 AM
Love the photos Cindy, every detail. The two of Bea and Sal nose to nose and the one of them at the ready, set, go starting line are fabulous. How are all your girls this morning? |
| NellieBelle |
Posted - Jun 01 2016 : 7:13:30 PM
Nice looking herd Cindy! Now, pant legs inside or outside of boots? ;) |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jun 01 2016 : 11:05:57 AM
here are the girls this morning.
a bit of meet-n-greet. sally on the left, bea on the right.
and a little pushing around. see elsa's little feet under sally, she instigated then let the other two work it out.
and settling down to breakfast. this is later in the pasture. elsa, sally, bea.
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| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jun 01 2016 : 10:09:51 AM
thanks ladies. it will be interesting to see it all work itself out this week relationship wise with the three girls. there was quite a bit of jostling around this morning attempting to establish dominance. at first we let them into the small area around the stock pond and barn for about 20 minutes to get them all acquainted.
everything was good until each time elsa mixed it up. she would decide to mount beatrice, and then beatrice would push elsa around in response, then sally would push beatrice around, then beatrice pushed elsa, and around and around. finally got them out to pasture, the one with hard fences all sides and no electrical, and they are enjoying themselves and w/in a few feet of one another...
i appreciate the name suggestions keeley, it is something we spend an inordinate amount of time considering ;> i have started to call her beatrice and it just fits. my nurse-to-be niece who has become my farmhand agrees, so we are calling her beatrice (ok, i call her miss beatrice potter but thats just me - i call all my cows lengthy names with titles and surnames and nicknames all added in). sometimes we refer to her as bea. everyone this morning thought it was good after all. mirabelle was beautiful but was a mouthful and i wasn't sure where i would go with it (although why i would think it is a mouthful when i constantly say "miss beatrice potter" i don't know, but thats me).
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| maryjane |
Posted - Jun 01 2016 : 05:50:48 AM
The Thompson story line just got a whole lot better. Thank you Cindy for all the details. I've read this post three times! And pics. And the bull link. I spent some time looking at bull links this past weekend. I can't figure out how one knows from the charts what a bull's size is (or was). But I'm working on it.
I had a dear friend, now diseased, who was legendary in the Forest Service world--her name was Dolly Koons. She had IT if you know what I mean. Men turned into flustered fools around her. Your doll looks like a dolly good cow. Congrats! |
| NellieBelle |
Posted - Jun 01 2016 : 04:03:54 AM
Just beautiful Cindy. You will know what to call her in a few days. It will just come to you and the decision will be made. She looks to be a beautiful cow and a good addition to your Miss Sally and Elsa. The best to you and your cow herd. Congratulations! |
| farmlife |
Posted - May 31 2016 : 9:57:56 PM
She's beautiful, Cindy! I like both Mirabelle and Beatrice, but she seems daintier than a traditional Beatrice somehow. Also it doesn't sound as good when you yell it across the pasture. Bea pronounced "Bee" could be short for Phoebe or Abby. She could also be just BeeBee. You could also do the Spanish pronunciation and have Beatriz. Irish cows and Spanish cows mix, right? |
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