| Lyndon Lodge Miniature Cattle |
| Phone 0408 717 814 |
| Calf Being Born |
| Seeing a calf being born is an amazing experience. If you know your cattle well and you know the signs to look for, you can observe the cow from the first signs of discomfort right through to the actual birth of the calf. This series of photos is of Harmony giving birth to Jude. I was lucky enough to be on hand so took these photos whilst she was giving birth. If all goes well the birth is usually very quick and the calf is up and drinking within 15-30 minutes. As soon as it is born the mother will lick it clean. This process also stimulates the calf into getting up and looking for its first drink. Even though calves are small they are remarkably strong and within a couple of hours they are walking and often running around the paddock. The first few days they sleep a lot and feed often. We handle our calves a lot during this time to get them used to being around people. It makes a big difference later in their life as our cattle are always quiet and easy to handle. |
| These 2 photos were taken at 2.42pm. The first sign of the calf emerging is the two front feet coming out (in a normal birth). At this stage the cow will often lie down for a while then she will get up and walk around, then lie down again. The feet will often disappear and reappear several times. Once the cow lies down and stays down it is "game on". The calf will be born soon. |
| These photos were taken at 2.45pm, little Jude is on the ground and Harmony is licking her clean. Lynleigh is watching with interest as her little sister is being cleaned. Note the calf is already trying to stand up, at just a few minutes old. |
| After all the effort of being born, standing and walking for the first time and having a big drink of warm milk, it is time for a well earned rest for both mother and baby. |
| Once the calf is clean the mother will encourage her to have a drink. The calf is still quite unsteady on her feet so it can take a little while for her to find the udder and have a drink. |
| Harmony and Jude |
| To see a video of this birth go to: Calf Being Born Video |
| WARNING GRAPHIC PHOTOS |