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| One of our BEBettes with her coat. |
Yesterday Farmer had calf duty. Our normal calf guy was off.
I got home from the bookstore, where I work part-time, in the afternoon just in time to help.
What a difference 40 years can make.
The first year I was married I helped my father-in-law feed calves, we fed about 120 for the whole year. We had them in an older barn in two or three pens. Colostrum mixed with calf starter was fed. After we mixed it in the parlor we would carry the 5 gallon pails full of milk up the hill, sloshing all the way and feed by bottle and pails. The calves would share bottles and pails. We would try to feed two at a time while fending off the others that wanted their turn or thought they needed more.
Our next upgrade was wooden calf hutches outside. The calves were in individual hutches outside in the hot, sweaty sunshine, soggy rain and miserable snow. Carrying the pails even farther with the sloshing ensued. In the winter we had the extra pleasure of our pant legs being frozen stiff from the spilled milk.
The calf hutches were replaced with domes. White igloos. They were better for the calves but didn’t really ease our work. On one particular stormy day one of the domes blew away. It rolled on its side and rolled over a mile away. Thankfully the calf was left behind. I have visions of the neighbors who might have watched the hutch roll past their window wondering “what the heck is that”.
With the first calf barn came many improvements.
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| Cutie with her blue coat. |
We now have two calf barns. Each barn has individual stalls and group pens.
Each calf has its own stall that is washed with Tide and bleach when the new calf arrives and the older one is moved to its new location.
Each calf has its own pail that is not shared.
The stalls are positioned so the calves cannot come in contact with each other to spread illnesses.
Each barn has a warm room where water and milk replacer is mixed which requires minimal carrying.
Approximately 1200 calves are born a year and we have a full time calf person. It’s quite a difference from 40 years ago when I came on the scene.
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| Stall #8 |
I almost forgot. This little gal in stall #8 didn't want to get up to eat and she had a runny nose.
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| Digital thermometer. |
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| Just like real babies, up the hiney it goes. |
Calves temps should be around 102.5, so she received a shot for pneumonia.
Here are a few more of our cute litle BEBettes.
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| I love her curly hair. |
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| Even though she needs her face washed she's still adorable. |
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| Waiting. . . waiting. . . waiting. |
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| It doesn't take long to finish off their lunch. |
