Any day now (pics)
 

Hi all...Calving pros please respond. "Bailey" is 8 years old and 9 days past her AI'ed calving date. I'm not freaking out but would like to learn if you have any experience with overdue cows and the chances that they may drop twins. Just a thought I'd throw this idea your way. Guess her due day if you want, I'd sure like to know....I'm guessing tomorrow day 10...Topside

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...gBailey005.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...gBailey007.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...gBailey008.jpg

The 3 births I have had on my place were all overdue by at least a week from their AI due date...an no twins. I am by no means an expert!!! but I say she looks like you could probably count in hours how long it will be rather than days ;-)
Can't wait to see baby pictures! Good luck to you and momma.
Trisha

A lot of our old cows have gone overdue. I'd say she will drop a calf the minute your back is turned.;)
20 years with family milk jerseys(2-6 cows calving per year), and no twins yet.
First set of twins I have delivered were out of a Holstien cow in the dairy herd two years ago.
Hey, that is a very pretty Jersey you got there. Nice udder on an 8 year old cow.

Due tonight. She is more than welcome to come eat the grass in MY pasture!!

one nice cow..wish I had 15 just like her...nice size teats also....did you raise her or buy her ?

Thanks for all the kind comments. TJM I bought her less than a year ago, best purchase I've made lately. This cow and i have bonded nicely. The folks I bought her from could not find a Vet or AI guy to straw her so she dried up. One good addition to my place. Photos are a guarantee...Farmmaid I like your perdiction, but how about first light around 5:30am.....Topside

Poor baby, for her sake, I hope it's soon. She's a beautifull animal, Topside, you did good with her........Hope it a heifer for you,
P.J.

Purebred Jersey? Possible some Brown Swiss in her background? Or unknown?

Up North, I've had many purebred Jerseys(some registered) who looked just like that. Jerseys can come in any shade of brown from light fawn(almost white), to almost black.
Swiss blood *really* shows in the head and the heavier bones, so a head shot would be really telling. From this angle, I think she looks 100% Jersey. Not saying that I'm right though......:)

Old photo
 

Purebred Jersey based on her size, color pattern, actually never considered any other bloodline mixed in. She got her start at an organic dairy. All my research points to pure Jersey....Winter photo of course.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...tcalves003.jpg

I'd say she's carrying a single. We've actually had a lot of twins in the last 12 years. It's usually pretty obvious as they are absolutely HUGE. It's almost comical when a cow is as wide as she is long. We don't worry about due dates so much. As long as a cow is behaving normal and looks healthy (which obviously your cow is) we just let nature take it's course. Heather

Thanks Heather for the look-see, Bailey is a bit special to us. Sure hope all is going smooth in your hometown. By the way all Bailey is still holding calf, maybe later today...Topside

Mark's not near a computer now but the reason why he brought up Brown Swiss is because Swiss, on average, hold on to their calves 5 days longer than other breeds. Heather

Ah, interesting. The opposite of Lamancha goats. They usually kid on average five days before the other breeds.

By the pics she is real close.
I have a Guernsey Swiss cross that carried her last heifer 10 days over. But, then again she was breed too a brahma and they are knowen carry these calves longer.
Bob

She looks like a full jersey to me and I think it's soon. She's looking pretty close, I know with my jerseys I kept thinking, their bags are bigger must be soon, and then the bags just kept getting bigger and bigger.

Congrats
Juli

The due date also depends on how you determine it. lol
Most gestation calculators others use are a few days off from how we determine due dates.
Heifers tend to be early (as in a week or so early).
The more lactations under a cows belt, the longer she tends to gestate and generally her calves are larger as well.
Pretty looking Jersey there.
As my father says, "She'll calve when she calves."

Roseanna you father was a smart man....Just left the pasture no major changes guess she'll calve when she calves....Day 11 begins tomorrow...Till then,,,,Topside

Have a couple bottles of calcium handy. An 8 year old Jersey that has been dry for an extended time would be a good candidate for milk fever.

the only thing that could make Bailey look better was if she were in MY pasture. What a gem!

Thanks Mary I'm all ready on top of it...Great reminder...Topside

I meant to put, "Twins" generally come early.
We've had a fair set of twins over the years. The school farm had three sets of twins in one (plus a set born to a cow sold bred when they sold off the herd).

Yeah, dad has grown tired of me in the past. We had a discussion just the other day about what "Active labor" means to him and what it means to me. We are in the midsts of kidding season again (81 kids on the ground so far with another 20 to kid) and so when I say a goat (or cow) is in active labor it isn't what he generally thinks of (to him-which is bubble presenting, cow straining with contractions close together).

Somehow, this year, I managed to catch both first calf heifers in the early stages and pen them up off the 80 acres. Both freshened within a day, with the second dropping her calf in less than two hours.
The 6 year old, however, spent a loooong time locked in the barn (two dead calves previously) with us thinking it would be anyday.


Hope she calves soon for you.

Looking forward to the calf pictures.

Update
 

I'm looking forward to the photos myself. I've moved the old gal into a smaller paddock so I can monitor her more closely. Here is todays photo, her udder is now the size of the Hindenburg. Not much interest in this evenings feed so I feel the time is drawing near...Topside
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...dcalves013.jpg

That is one beautiful gal.

Thanks Emily, comment from you and others mean a lot..Topside

Just checking in to see how your beautiful girl is doing. Hope everything goes smoothly. Take care.

It's time to close the thread. Bailey had her heifer calf @ 6:00 this morning. I was there through the calving and sadly the large calf was dead. On the upside I now have plenty of milk. Bailey is confused but healthy. No sympathy posts required, I know how much you love livestock. Enjoy your day....Topside

Oh, shoot. I've been watching this thread and thinking about watching my Stella getting ready to calve, wondering how long, and all. Stella also lost hers, twice. I know you're not looking for sympathy, but I also know you know that we all do sympathize.

She's a beautiful cow. Enjoy that milk.

mary

Is there anyplace near you that you might be able to get a young calf, maybe a bull from a dairy, to foster onto her?

(Sympathy post anyway)

Darn it! I am sorry.

OH NO! Some days on the farm just really stink. I am glad to hear your cow is doing well though. She is a lovely cow.
Like Mary said, enjoy that milk!
Blessings,
Trisha

Well darn it Topside! Give that cow lots of lovin, and freeze that wonderful colostrum.