My Longhorn Heifer is Getting Mighty Close!

[DuckyLou]

Good Morning!
My longhorn heifer should be having her calf any day now! I am really excited but nervous because this is her and my first calf! Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me? She has bagged up and is very loose in her "area", and her muscles by her tail have loosened up noticeably! Anyone want to take a guess as to when she will calve??

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Well, I noticed most animals like to birth by themselves early in the morning or at night. I do like cows, but don't have any, I just observe the ones on the hill

If she does calve today/tomorrow/day after post pictures!!

 

[aprille218]

Heifers can be bagged up and very loose for a while (weeks to a month) before they actually calve. Also they will generally follow the same pattern every year so keep track of what she does and how long it takes so you'll have an idea for next year. Do you know when she was bred? Feed her in the evening and you'll be less likely to have her calve in the middle of the night. We give our calves oral scour preventative right after they're born. Check out Ihttp://www.valleyvet.com/ct_sub_category.html?cguid=B0C02975-70F0-4DB9-BF4B-80C85B367FE2 Also having some colostrum and bottles on hand is a good idea just in case. If it's a bull are you having it castrated if so I recommend banding it within 2 days of birth.
Hope this helps some.
Aprille

 

[DuckyLou]

Update! She had her calf early Saturday morning! Here are some pictures. Everything went just fine and its a healthy little bull! Thanks for your advice Aprille!

 

[Habibs Hens]

ohhhhhhh wow he is so cute

 

[Godsgrl]

Congrats to you and the heifer on the new little guy! He sure has some legs, they go on for days!! Beautiful, and thank you for sharing.

 

[DuckyLou]

Thanks! Those legs are everywhere! Watching him run and buck is soooo cute and funny!

 

[kristirose125]

How many longhorns do you have? i was looking into getting one or two after we make our big move and i get my farm. do you know anyone willing to sell any of theirs? do you know anyone who would let me look at theirs and teach me things before i get them? i just want to learn as much as i can before i get one. thanks!

 

[DuckyLou]

Hi Kristirose! I have 4 longhorns currently. When I was trying to decide on what type of cows to get I decided on longhorns for a couple of different reasons, they are suppose to eat more underbrush than other breeds of cattle, and I have a lot of that!! They are also a very healthy breed, and docile as well. Where are you located at? Are you In Texas? Doing research is always a great thing to do! Feel free to ask any questions! I love my longhorns! My cow had a great first time birth and is an excellent mother! Oh and of course her baby is beautiful!

 

[punk-a-doodle]

What a beauty! Longhorns are such lookers. I didn't know that about their brush eating habits, that's so neat.