Twister Calved!!!

Joan, that's a fair question. I am not offended at all!

I had originally planned for the girls to give birth over here in the (small) cow pasture. I had moved them across the road because I wanted to give the cow shed a thorough cleaning first. Then, of course, Twister gave birth 12 days early, SURPRISE!!! So they're still over there ... and actually they're happier out in the big pasture anyway; there is grass to eat and shady woods to stand around in, rather than standing around in the barn all day.

Now that Gary has my milking machine up and running, I'm trying to decide whether to bring them back over here permanently, or just in the morning and evening to milk (which would be kind of a hassle).

I agree with Roseanna that a pasture is a cleaner environment than a confined space where the bacteria in manure probably builds up even if the manure itself is removed regularly. Navel ill (septicemia) is a real threat, even if the cord is dipped.

The calving pen on the farm where I work also is used as a close-up pen to hold cows too sick to be in the milking herd -- NOT a good idea, IMO, but space is limited. Even there, heifers often give birth down at the heifer barn, and I've shown up in the morning to find a calf in with the milking herd, either because a date was miscalculated or the cow was settled by a herd bull sooner than thought.

With goats, I don't blame you for wanting them right where you can keep an eye on them because the risk of problems is so much greater with multiple births!

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"I love all of this mud," said no one, ever.