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farmlife
1413 Posts
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 Posted - Mar 12 2015 : 5:01:04 PM
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Hi everyone. So when we got Elli she was ultrasounded to confirm pregnancy. The vet thought her due date was April 24 as a result. The guys who were managing her exposure to the bull believed it could be closer to the 17th. When I look at the changes that have happened to her physically in the last little bit, I wonder if it won't be sooner. Here's my photo documentation and maybe you can give me some advice based on all of your experience because I have none.
Poufy butt
Full rear view
udder underneath
Side view -- Her udder has really started filling out towards the front and I can feel milk veins developing.
From this view you can see how her sides bulge, but from straight on she doesn't look that big.
Front view
But here's the most important shot of the day. It was hard to get her picture because she kept wanting me to hold her head and scratch her chin. |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Mar 12 2015 : 5:10:16 PM
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Doesn't seem like she'll last another month, does it? The udder does swell during the last month, but her swollen vulva looks, well, swollen the way it does toward the end of a pregnancy. Hmmmm. If she were mine, I'd start to get ready sooner rather than later. My gal Sweetheart who I know is due April 3 (because of live mount) doesn't yet have the symptoms Elli does.
BTW, I posted an update regarding your milking machine question and will post more later as a result of today's milking with the foot pump.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Mar 12 2015 : 5:11:42 PM
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Just keep watching Her like you are. The calf will come when it comes. When She starts to be looking to nest and has a good discharge it is close. Probably just stress till you got out one time and find a heifer calf licked clean and nursing!
Prepare to meet your milk!
PS, freeze any extra colustrum. |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
Edited by - Ron on Mar 12 2015 5:12:39 PM |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Mar 12 2015 : 5:12:31 PM
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| BTW Keeley, Elli sure is a gorgeous cow in every single way. She's a classic-looking Elsie for sure. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Mar 12 2015 : 5:26:36 PM
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| She is so pretty. Like Ron and MaryJane both said, be prepared. I can't wait. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Mar 12 2015 : 6:14:56 PM
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| Glad to know I'm not entirely crazy to think it might be sooner than they thought. I'm going to hope for April... sometime. This weekend I'll order my milker and get all my supplies figured out. Milk Cow Kitchen, here I come! |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Mar 12 2015 : 6:31:46 PM
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| i just want to tell you that she is absolutely purty!! what a wonderful adventure. |
_(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") |
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Sydney2015
1156 Posts
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Posted - Mar 12 2015 : 6:33:04 PM
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| Has she calved before? I know with beef cattle a first time mom might start bagging up, then not have her calf for another month. But that is much different from dairy. I'm more experienced in the beef department. |
A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder
I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter! |
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tcboweevil
338 Posts
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Posted - Mar 12 2015 : 7:02:34 PM
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She has a pretty pink udder. I love it!!!
I personally think her udder will get much bigger even on a first time freshener. Usually an udder gets extremely tight the week before delivery. It looks like it may explode and it will even drip milk.
She will suddenly go slab sided which means she will look suddenly skinny if you look at her from the front. That means the baby has lined up in the birth canal. That usually happens a day or two before birth.
It is a fun time of anticipation and a great time of bonding between you and her. Every minute that you spend looking at her, rubbing her, and just being amazed by her changing shape and demeanor is a memory that we have all shared with our bovine beauties. Have fun and enjoy this time. Please post lots of pictures of the new baby whenever that may be. |
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chives
313 Posts
Victoria
Shelton
WA
usa
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Posted - Mar 12 2015 : 8:08:00 PM
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| She is a beautiful cow. Can't wait to see the baby. How exciting for you right now. |
A cow is the heart of a farm |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Mar 12 2015 : 8:13:36 PM
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The guys we bought her from said that her udder will probably get huge and just when we think she can't get any bigger then she'll probably go another week. They also showed me how to check a ligament near her tail. As long as it is tight, she isn't supposed to calve, but when it relaxes she could go anytime if I understand it right.
She has not calved before, Sydney, and I have never had a cow that was going to calve before. I don't know that it's good for both of us to be new to this. Good to know about the slab sided aspect of things, Theresa. That will give me something else to watch for. I imagine Elli and I will get to know each other even better in the coming months. She hasn't mooed since she got here other than when we first brought her home, so I imagine if she starts making noise I'll know something is up as well. |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Mar 13 2015 : 04:51:47 AM
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.jpg?v 84004835) I know these are not attractive of Nellie's derriere, but they may be educational. Of course every cow will be different..jpg?v 7456760)  The mucus strand was 2-3 days before she delivered. The first two were about 6 days prior to delivery. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Mar 13 2015 : 04:59:43 AM
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In labor in afternoon. Had calf later in evening around 11:30 p.m. Tail out, in labor Hope these may be of some help. MaryJane's Milk Cow Kitchen on pg. 284-285 show some helpful photos too. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Mar 13 2015 : 05:19:36 AM
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| Thanks, Janet. Those are very helpful! My hope is that Elli's body will just spend a long time preparing and then the actual labor will be easier. I will make a point to be as ready as I can too! |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Mar 13 2015 : 6:42:58 PM
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| I can't wait to see what happens over the next few days with the purty gal. |
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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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Mar 13 2015 : 8:26:05 PM
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Keeley, your cow is beautiful...love the photo of her close up. All of this is encouraging to me as I've never had a cow give birth (yet) but it sounds very similar to goats. A similar thing with the udder, tail ligaments and babies lining up in the birth canal (goat suddenly looks much skinnier!) happens with my goats! This gives me a bit of confidence! I'm always amazed when those tail ligaments "disappear"!
Can't wait to hear what happens, Keeley! Thanks for leading the way...I'm taking notes so I can be ready this fall with Clover! |
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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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Mar 13 2015 : 9:42:48 PM
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| I feel like I should have been taking notes off the chatroom for some time, Charlene! You are smart to start now. |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Apr 03 2015 : 07:06:38 AM
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| Keeley, did she calve yet? I have been MIA for some weeks but kept thinking about your girl this whole time. Its just so fascinating to me, an absolute miracle of life. |
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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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Apr 03 2015 : 3:05:32 PM
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| She hasn't calved yet. I'm not sure she isn't going to make me wait for the next two or three weeks! I haven't seen any mucus or rounding of her vulva, but her udder sure is getting bigger everyday. She's hitting the somewhat ornery stage, too, it seems. Let's hope it goes smoothly when it's her time. |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Apr 03 2015 : 3:10:20 PM
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| well I look forward to following your journey. i am hoping i will be in the same place next summer ( a year from now) with the look and wait situation. may the force be with you! |
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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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Apr 17 2015 : 6:34:36 PM
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Here's Elli's latest. The guys we bought her from had her calving date down as today (4/17). The ultrasound showed 4/24. So sometime in the next little bit we should have a calf. Her udder today:
I look at where she was when I originally posted this topic and think of how far she has come. Then I see Janet's picture of Nellie and think we may be waiting another week. Elli's rear teats have actually gotten shorter in the last few days because her udder is getting so big and swollen.
In related news the kids and I came to a consensus. If it is a bull calf it will be Gus and if it is a heifer it will be Emmie. I'm really hoping it will be a heifer. Elli and Emmie would be so perfect together. Now if only I had patience. . . |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Apr 17 2015 : 6:40:02 PM
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| Oh and I found this interesting. As her udder has grown, the hair has disappeared. She now only has hair on the front of her udder closest to her belly, but nowhere near her teats. |
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Sydney2015
1156 Posts
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Posted - Apr 17 2015 : 6:48:15 PM
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| That is interesting, I hope you get a heifer too! Can't wait. |
A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder
I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter! |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Apr 17 2015 : 7:26:07 PM
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| She definitely has changed since the first you posted her pictures Keeley. I'm excited for you and can't wait. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Apr 18 2015 : 04:49:50 AM
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| I love being witness to the way a cow's body gets ready for the big day. And a hairless udder? What could be better!? It's more sanitary for baby and you. I have to shave most of my girls but then I do have a couple who seem to lose their locks down there. Keep your photos and updates coming. We're counting the days with you. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Apr 18 2015 : 07:59:55 AM
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| Yep. Where else could folks get exited about a cow butt. We have it bad. Lol |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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Advice on Elli
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