This question from Virginia farmers:Hi Beth! I hope your Spring planning is going well! We are anxious and excited to have our first calf born on our property soon (April). We were just talking, and thought we’d shoot you a question if you have a moment: we are worried about predators and this new calf when she comes. We have coyotes that come through our land a couples of times a year (for a month or two at a time). We are wondering your thoughts about afterbirth attracting coyotes? We thought about keeping mama close to the house when the time comes to give birth, or possibly locking her up in our barn every night... any thoughts on predators and a new calf? If she is born close to our house, how soon would we be able to get her the 200 yards to the barn? God bless your Ash Wednesday and Lenten Season!!
Hi, Folks! We're surviving the winter -- wet and warm -- meaning cold but not very cold -- and trying to fix fences before spring comes and we're too busy. Planning the garden is therapeutic. So, calves and coyotes:
With a single cow, bringing her up to the barn at night is a great precaution. Even a small herd seem to be pretty good at protecting their babies (we have LOTS of coyotes all the time, but have never lost a calf to them, although they've been interested), but a single mama can only be in one place at a time. Another reason to calve close to civilization is that when one does, on those rare occasions, call the vet out, he/she will form one of his/her first opinions of you based on if you are making his/her job easier -- by having the cow up near the barn. At least, our does, for sure. As for calves born in the field, we just hoik them up and carry them to the barn, mama following. Farmers with fourwheelers sometimes build themselves calf cages -- just big enough to hold a small calf so it can't jump out -- on the back of the vehicle, for just this purpose. A sled also works, if the slope isn't against you. But you'll be surprised: if baby is an hour or two old when you find her, she'll most likely be on her feet and ready to follow mama up to the barn. Or, if she's twelve hours old, she may be hidden in the tall grass (a calf can hide behind three blades of bermuda grass) and refuse to show herself until she's hungry. We have a post somewhere in the last few months regarding when/how calves will follow mama up to the barn, I'll try to send you the link. Blessings!
Hi Beth! I hope your Spring planning is going well! We are anxious and excited to have our first calf born on our property soon
(April). We were just talking, and thought we’d shoot you a question if you have a moment: we are worried about predators and this new calf when she comes. We have coyotes that come through our land a couples of times a year (for a month or two at a time). We are wondering your thoughts about afterbirth attracting coyotes? We thought about keeping mama close to the house when the time comes to give birth, or possibly locking her up in our barn every night... any thoughts on predators and a new calf? If she is born close to our house, how soon would we be able to get her the 200 yards to the barn? God bless your Ash Wednesday and Lenten Season!!