Mrs Down's Diary

AFTER keeping us on tenterhooks ( whatever were tenterhooks?) for a week, the biggest and oldest cow in our herd has eventually calved. John even called the vet in last week to look at her as he was so concerned that the birth was imminent and that she was not getting on with it.

The vet took in her enormous girth, her distended bag, the drip of milk from her teats and said there's nothing I can do.

Apart from a bill in the post of course. You can't induce a cow. There is more danger for the calf in bringing it on too early and anticipating the birth than letting her go into labour when the time was ready and having to intervene then.

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As it was nature took its course. After several more days with friends popping in to see if we were parents yet - the interest in the cow had grown so much - she produced. With a tug and a pull from John and the calving aid.

Last year this same cow had given birth to twins. One died and the other, Freddy, remains our special needs calf; now a bullock. Freddy now takes his place in with the heifers ( he would be bullied by the bullocks )pushing and shoving to get to the rolled barley, but he still takes very slowly to any changes in his diet or care.

He would not be weaned off his bucket of milk for months, and it took him weeks to learn how to drink out of his bucket in the first place. John had to hand feed him till then.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette February 25

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