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Post by willowgirl on Jul 8, 2018 15:55:40 GMT
Got a nice prospect on the farm where I work, a li'l tiny, friendly first-calf heifer who isn't making enough milk to make the cut. There's nothing wrong with her; she's healthy and has good bag fill, she's just tiny (think, a Jersey-sized Holstein). Boss's daughter made a pet of her when she was a calf so she's real calm, likes people. She's about 90 days in milk, not bred back yet, made 47 lbs. on test last week (that's about 6 gallons a day). Oh, I call her Amy. 
We will probably end up taking her if our land deal goes through but honestly this cow could have a great productive life ahead as a backyard milker ... there's nothing wrong with her other than being low-pro. If anyone is near 15026 (SW PA near the OH/WV line) hit me up, I can put you in touch with my boss ... I'm sure he will sell her for slaughter price.
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Post by dustawaits on Jul 16, 2018 13:59:06 GMT
Calf raiser?
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Post by willowgirl on Jul 17, 2018 2:30:32 GMT
Sure, I don't see why not! She is such a laid-back little cow, I imagine she would let a strange calf nurse. (It seems most cows will.)
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Post by willowgirl on Nov 26, 2019 12:49:53 GMT
Well well. Been awhile since I started this thread! Amy stayed in the herd but lost a teat to injury, which didn't help matters as she wasn't making a ton of milk to begin with. She had a second calf without any problems. She's about 220 days in milk now, hasn't been bred back as we haven't managed to catch her in heat. Only made 28 lbs. on test over the weekend.
Hmm. Stay tuned!
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Post by mzgarden on Nov 27, 2019 11:24:33 GMT
Sounds like a future groupie for Numb. |
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Post by willowgirl on Nov 27, 2019 20:31:21 GMT
She's gonna love him!  |
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Post by willowgirl on Dec 1, 2019 15:50:39 GMT
Well, now our li'l darlin' has come down with mastitis ... just a garden-variety case, but it will be necessary to keep her on the dairy until we can get her cleared up and ready to travel.
Sigh ... it's always something!
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Post by aoconnor on Dec 17, 2019 0:56:22 GMT
Sorry she is not feeling well. And ahem, I'm Amy!! I sort of like having a cow named after me:-) It's an honor:-)
Hahaha!!!
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Post by willowgirl on Jan 1, 2020 15:13:10 GMT
Well, she's ours now ... my boss gave her to me as part of my Christmas bonus! He says she can stay on the dairy until it warms up, though. She doesn't have much of a winter coat so she'd be cold out on the open prairie with our range cows who only go into the barn when it's snowing or windy! The mastitis cleared up without any complications. She's a funny little cow ... some days she milks like a trouper; others, she hardly has a bag at all. She spends a lot of time gadding about the barn getting up in everyone's business ... I think some days she just gets busy and forgets to make any milk. |
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Post by willowgirl on Mar 1, 2020 14:55:47 GMT
Amy is still on the dairy waiting for spring, getting fat, making enough milk to whiten a cup of coffee and getting into trouble every chance she can! The calf feeder used to feed while we were milking and take a shortcut through the top of the parlor with the milk buckets, until Amy intercepted him one day and mugged him for the milk. Seems she has a taste for the stuff! Now she's taken to coming back in through the footbath and hanging out in the parlor lying in wait for him, so he's been forced to wait 'til we're finished and he can close the gate and work in peace. But first he has to lure her out of the parlor by showing her a (empty) milk bucket then running out through the footbath with it while she chases after him in a great clattering of hooves (it's hilarious!).
The other high point of Amy's life so far was the day the steer popped the Plexiglass panel out of the door between the parlor and milkhouse, and she was able to stick her head through the opening and knock our whiteboard off the wall. Every day when she goes out of the parlor after milking, she stops in front of that window (since repaired) and stares longingly at the whiteboard. You can almost hear her thinking, "I got you once ... I'll get you again!"
Ghod help us when she has 7 acres in which to get herself into trouble! I guess we'd better walk the fenceline and check everything over very carefully before we bring her home ...
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Post by Mari-in-IN on Mar 1, 2020 15:03:54 GMT
Oh that did indeed made me chuckle willowgirl . Now I would just LOVE to see videos of Amy's antics. Perhaps she could become an internet sensation?! |
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Post by willowgirl on Mar 1, 2020 16:30:49 GMT
I'll have to make some videos when we get her home! I'm sure she's going to liven things up quite a bit, lol.
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Post by willowgirl on Mar 27, 2020 4:05:44 GMT
Li'l Darlin's finally coming home Sunday morn, ghod willing and the creek don't rise, lol.
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Post by willowgirl on Mar 29, 2020 16:36:02 GMT
She's home! All's well. I'll post some pics this evening.
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Post by willowgirl on Mar 29, 2020 21:51:02 GMT
She's fitting in just fine with the rest of the herd! They have all been licking her half to death, lol. Here she is with her new buddies Snowy and Georgia:  It was hot here today; she's already discovered the joys of the wallow:  She's an intelligent and mischievous little cow and I'm just waiting for her to get into mischief ...  |
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Post by willowgirl on Apr 5, 2020 13:27:06 GMT
Hard to believe she's been with us a week already! She seems to be fitting in really well. She's always the first cow to come bopping up to the gate to see what's going on when we arrive.
I think she was bored to tears on the dairy ... there's certainly enough to do now to keep her busy!
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Post by countrymom22 on Apr 6, 2020 1:51:24 GMT
She knows a good thing when she sees one! She's not going to do anything to jeopardize her new home! Enjoy!
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Post by willowgirl on Apr 12, 2020 0:45:27 GMT
We got Li'l Darlin's final 303 report from the DHI and it seems she only made 33,000 lbs. of milk over two lactations. A bit of a slacker, she was! She seems to be enjoying herself in retirement and even managed to lick the top of Numb's head the other day while he was opening the gate. (Like all our girls, she is madly in love with Numb, sigh.) |
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Post by oldone on Apr 15, 2020 18:11:29 GMT
Hadn't looked in cattle sub forum before cause we haven't had cows for years. Thank yu for putting a smile on my face. Please keep posting. I'll be waiting 😁
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Post by willowgirl on Apr 17, 2020 14:35:24 GMT
You are welcome!
Just wanted to add ... if anyone is looking for a milk cow, we have several nice ones on the dairy! Our milk processor wants to cut back production, so I'm sure my boss would be willing to part with one, especially a lower-production cow that will still make plenty of milk for a household's needs. We are in SW PA, close to the Ohio and WV borders ... PM me for more info!
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