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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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 Posted - Oct 30 2015 : 1:57:31 PM
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miss Elsa O'Mally butters got her Brucellosis vaccine wednesday as well as her final two boosters. we had mentioned to the vet that she had a bit of a cold on sunday, but he took her temp and gave her a thorough once over (he was here to do a well cow/calf visit as well) and said she looked perfect and sounded healthy. temp was 101.4 which is normal.
yesterday, the day after vaccines, she seemed a little lethargic but we just decided to use that day as the start of the part day separation with momma. so when sally o'mally went to the pasture post milking at 8am we kept miss elsa back until 11am. lover boy said that she was slow to walk to the pasture at 11am when he took her, but once she got there she ran to momma and seemed very energetic.
this morning when i went down to the barn at 7am she was laying down, on her side with legs stretched out. i thought she was dead. literally. given my extensive cow/calf experience (collective HJO laugh acceptable here) i had never seen a calf lay like that, i had only seen them in that regal position with all legs tucked under them looking quite peaceful and content. think ester lily photos that we see every day ;>
she didn't move when i started talking to them wishing them good morning, but i could see her breathing. but the moment i came into the stall and just gave her a loving touch she jumped right up in a standing position. and although she didn't move from that position, when i brought alfalfa pellets in a bucket to her she ate like she had never eaten before - head forced into bucket all the way, constant chomping and chewing, and consumed quite a bit. thought those were all good signs. but when i milked sally i could tell elsa hadn't nursed at all last night as i got almost two gallons of milk, instead of my normal 1/2-1 gallon.
called vet asap this morning and he said he would come out. of course, the first thing he asked was, "what is her temperature"... lover boy and i both laughed, it never occurred to the new parents to take the temperature. not. at. all. yes, new parents are stupid. common sense out the window.
long story short, vet came out and i apologized like crazy for probably being a new parent and calling him unnecessarily. lo and behold she had a 103.1 temp, and she has a respiratory infection! not dangerous now, the cold just probably got worse as the vaccines impacted her immune system. but he says it could have gotten serious fast so we did the right thing. he gave her an antiboitic and an anti-inflammatory for the respiratory system, and gave us one more dose of each to administer this weekend. lover boy can do that job.
i am going to try to water down some chaffhaye and pellets to add some ester-c to this weekend. he said that her temperature should be down within 4-6 hours with the antibiotic he gave her, so we'll take that today and tomorrow and call him immediately if it doesn't change.
i am also disappointed i don't yet have my barn cot, as i was waiting to get that until closer to birthing time. i can totally see me a 'la mary jane and down in the barn with the baby girl. seriously considering tossing a fresh bale on the ground after mucking and just hanging out with Elsa and an old quilt.
i'll keep y'all posted but lesson here is newbie's can't be too careful with the healthwatch, and a $55 vet trip fee to the farmstead is well worth the expense! i have to admit that although we are frugal people, i feel that a $55 trip fee is so amazingly inexpensive given that is the fee 24/7 to come out and be of service.
and this vet is the older vet in the clinic, the founding vet. i REALLY like him - he's more old school and sees the benefit of doing things the old and natural way, he isn't solely focused on current livestock health/feed practices. his assistant and him actually looked over my parlor feeding bins and minerals and were truly interested in what we were doing, they didn't scoff at the fact that they didn't just see a TMR and such - they liked the going back to basics approach that many of y'all around her recommend.
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_(199x300)_(66x100).jpg?v 93697001) Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
Edited by - txbikergirl on Oct 31 2015 5:08:58 PM |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Oct 30 2015 : 4:12:40 PM
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| How scary for you both. Hope Elsa comes along well and back to her normal self soon. Please keep us posted Cindy. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Oct 30 2015 : 4:44:10 PM
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thanks janet, us newbies don't know the difference between a true emergency and a "worry wort parent" situation so its nice to be supported.
she is doing GREAT tonight. brought sally in around 5pm, letting else nurse until 7pm. elsa was active when i went down to see her, she even drank a lot of water. she went straight to nursing the moment sally was brought in, showing lots of energy to get to those teats. will take her temperature tonight. |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Oct 30 2015 : 6:59:39 PM
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evening update - elsa seems to be doing much better. went down closer to 8pm to separate them, they were both laying down but elsa was in her regal princess pose just like normal. made my heart happy. it was also sweet to see them both bedded down in their own separate corrals, despite the fact that all the inner gates were still open and they had free access. very cute.
checked out sally's udder and elsa had definitely nursed very well. i then sat down on the bedding and hung out with elsa for half an hour. spent that time rubbing down her neck and face and it was really nice how she just laid her head down on my lap, started that low growling noise she made when content, and she just relaxed into the love and closed her eyes. i wish i had the time to do that every night, it was just lovely. i think i'll start doing it at least three times a week.
oh, and sally had licked elsa all over - the face and ears and neck were all washed. sweet sweet sweet.
so newbie cow/calf owner is much happier 12 hours later. and calf is alive and well, so mary jane can relax. i hope to provide "proof of life" photos tomorrow, but we all know to not hold our breath as i am so lousy at taking photos... moo on fellow HJO cow lovers! |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
Edited by - txbikergirl on Oct 30 2015 7:06:34 PM |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Oct 30 2015 : 7:21:49 PM
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So happy to hear your good report and Elsa's improvement, Cindy. And what a gift of quiet time with the cows ... very peaceful and healing for everyone, not just Sally and Elsa.
This afternoon I popped over to MaryJane's farm and was able to see Fanci in her very cozy maternity suite. Oh my goodness, she just looks huge! Fanci is a large cow to say the least! I told MJ that Fanci looked like an elephant ... but a gentle giant as Fanci managed to get up and lumbered over to greet me. She put her head through the feeding rails wanting loves and scratches. And then I looked up and MJ is greeting Sweet William ... such a sweet sight! Sweet William came right up to MJ and stretched out his neck and head right on her chest so she could scratch him while he looked at her face. What a beautiful scene ... that could have been a photo of photos. These cows are certainly loved on every single day and it shows.
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Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Oct 30 2015 : 7:47:36 PM
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charlene that sounds lovely. fanci was indeed large to begin with, can't imagine how large she is now. poor girl, will be happy for her when she calves.
it will be interesting to see the cow mattress. can't imagine it myself, but curious to see. cows around the world will be whispering to one another about this bovine shangrila that is rumored to be in idaho, they will pass it down from generation to generation with cows pushing at their gates to one day escape and make their way north... |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Oct 31 2015 : 09:01:51 AM
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saturday report - elsa is up and energetic and happy. i sleep in an hour later on the weekends, and since it is still dark the girls don't cause a ruckus about it. that won't work in the summer i suppose.
elsa was up standing and eating when i came in. thats unusual. i always leave her food, so she has free choice of everything in her corral, but in the mornings she always waits for me to bring her alfalfa pellets to her in her pink bucket and then she complies with my wishes by having a few chews. its our morning thing. today she was gladly partaking of what i had left her through the night.
she's also got her moo back. we are continuing to take sally to the pasture post milking, and then mid-day bringing elsa there. well today is rainy so i am not putting elsa out in the pasture at all - so sally is in the pasture bawling like crazy, and elsa is mooing in response. its a noisy day here, but a joyful noise - with only two cows it isn't hard on your ears at all. it actually warms my heart.
its also obvious elsa made up for lost nursing last night through the corral fence as i only got a little over a pint today of milk - seriously. made sure i milked sally dry and her udder and teats are all happy and healthy, but the calf just made up for the previous 24 hours.
so i started my morning off with a happy cow and calf, and just took that pint plus of milk and after straining it went straight to the stove top for hot cocoa for me. that was the best damn hot cocoa ever.
blessings. |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
Edited by - txbikergirl on Oct 31 2015 09:06:07 AM |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Oct 31 2015 : 1:06:15 PM
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| So thankful to hear Elsa is doing better today. Thank you for the update Cindy. Hope things just keep improving. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Oct 31 2015 : 4:29:42 PM
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| Sure glad you enjoyed your cocoa! And, I'm glad to know I am not the only one with a calf that guzzles the milk from time to time. But, seriously, so glad to hear Elsa seems to be doing better and making up for lost time. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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![[flourish]](/images/flourish-txt_mobius.png)
Post vaccine lethargy/illness
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