Calving At Rainbow Ranch Farms
BEHOLD, a pure breed, pedigree Dexter calf born on 11/03/2011 at 1:20pm and weighed 45lbs.
within 10-15 minutes of being born, this beauty was standing, walking and jumping!
The Dam: a registered, pure breed, pedigree Dunn Dexter.
The Sire: a registered, pure breed, pedigree Black Dexter.
To save a calf and his Dam we called upon the troups for help (from Davis, CA. clear down to San Diego, CA.), our friends, various Veterinarians, family, farm members, volunteers, fellow ranchers and farmers: John Buccanan (Veterinarian, cattle/horse rancher/livestock management), Keith Betar (Race horses/cattle rancher/farmer/livestock mamagement & breeder), Sue Betar (pediatric nurse, race horses,cattle rancher/livestock management & breeder), Mary (goat farmer, M.H./livestock management & breeder), David Shirley (business man, volunteer, farm member, Restaurateur/livestock birthing coach), Carl (pasture management specialist, cattle/horse rancher/animal science & livestock breeder), Dennis Kelley (cattle rancher, farmer, livestock management & livestock breeder), Xenia (animal science, M.H., cattle rancher, farmer, livestock management/humane handling consultant & livestock breeder), Jaime Sinclair (humane handling consultant, veterinarian, sheep farmer, ruminant specialist & livestock breeder)and Scott Way (cattle rancher, animal science, horse rancher, livestock management and breeding).
Team work (with specialists)at Rainbow Ranch Farms for over 10 days & nights.
This was a difficult calving and compications started over 10 days before the calving. The Dam was lost, despite the round-the-clock efforts of many specialists. This was a heart break to be felt for a lifetime. Midge was a graceful heifer and had a gentle dispostion.
Her first birthing, and she was carrying twins. The initial preg-check did not detect the second calf, had the Veterinarians known, they would have taken a different/alternative approach. Midge was in well experienced & capable hands throughout this entire ordeal, yet she could not be saved. She was kept very comfortable and did not suffer.
She was well fed, hydrated and kept warm, clean, safe and comfortable. Thank you to all the wonderful people who assisted. Had it not been for all you wonderful folks, we would have lost both the heifer and the calf.
Our approach was to do ANYTHING & EVERYTHING to save her and the calf.
In both horses and cattle it is common practice to pinch off one of the twins to help prevent self absorbtion (especially on a first time birthing), but in this case the second calf went undetected in the initial preg-check.
It was a miracle the Dam held on as long she did and calved a beautiful, healthy calf. The Dam passed away within 3 hours of calving.
Currently the calf is in the laundry room, sleeping on moving blankets, being bottle fed raw goat milk. I was able to extract some of the mothers cholostrum and although it was not abundant, it will do. Thank God We have plenty of A-2 colostrum and milk here on the farm.
within 10-15 minutes of being born, this beauty was standing, walking and jumping!
The Dam: a registered, pure breed, pedigree Dunn Dexter.
The Sire: a registered, pure breed, pedigree Black Dexter.
To save a calf and his Dam we called upon the troups for help (from Davis, CA. clear down to San Diego, CA.), our friends, various Veterinarians, family, farm members, volunteers, fellow ranchers and farmers: John Buccanan (Veterinarian, cattle/horse rancher/livestock management), Keith Betar (Race horses/cattle rancher/farmer/livestock mamagement & breeder), Sue Betar (pediatric nurse, race horses,cattle rancher/livestock management & breeder), Mary (goat farmer, M.H./livestock management & breeder), David Shirley (business man, volunteer, farm member, Restaurateur/livestock birthing coach), Carl (pasture management specialist, cattle/horse rancher/animal science & livestock breeder), Dennis Kelley (cattle rancher, farmer, livestock management & livestock breeder), Xenia (animal science, M.H., cattle rancher, farmer, livestock management/humane handling consultant & livestock breeder), Jaime Sinclair (humane handling consultant, veterinarian, sheep farmer, ruminant specialist & livestock breeder)and Scott Way (cattle rancher, animal science, horse rancher, livestock management and breeding).
Team work (with specialists)at Rainbow Ranch Farms for over 10 days & nights.
This was a difficult calving and compications started over 10 days before the calving. The Dam was lost, despite the round-the-clock efforts of many specialists. This was a heart break to be felt for a lifetime. Midge was a graceful heifer and had a gentle dispostion.
Her first birthing, and she was carrying twins. The initial preg-check did not detect the second calf, had the Veterinarians known, they would have taken a different/alternative approach. Midge was in well experienced & capable hands throughout this entire ordeal, yet she could not be saved. She was kept very comfortable and did not suffer.
She was well fed, hydrated and kept warm, clean, safe and comfortable. Thank you to all the wonderful people who assisted. Had it not been for all you wonderful folks, we would have lost both the heifer and the calf.
Our approach was to do ANYTHING & EVERYTHING to save her and the calf.
In both horses and cattle it is common practice to pinch off one of the twins to help prevent self absorbtion (especially on a first time birthing), but in this case the second calf went undetected in the initial preg-check.
It was a miracle the Dam held on as long she did and calved a beautiful, healthy calf. The Dam passed away within 3 hours of calving.
Currently the calf is in the laundry room, sleeping on moving blankets, being bottle fed raw goat milk. I was able to extract some of the mothers cholostrum and although it was not abundant, it will do. Thank God We have plenty of A-2 colostrum and milk here on the farm.
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