The highs and lows of calving

Calving Time: Anxiety and Joy

Wow, doesn’t time fly? I hadn’t realised how long it had been between posts. While I don’t stick to a strict schedule, I certainly didn’t mean for the gap to be quite this long. Things on the farm have been ticking along behind the scenes, including the unfortunate need to buy in hay to keep the coos content.

The Exhaustion After the Show

This year’s National Show in June left me completely drained. After seven years on the committee, I finally hit my limit - there was nothing left in the tank. The event itself was a washout (a story for another day!), and once it wrapped up, I raced home to focus on Kenzie who was due to calve within the week.

I also ended up with Influenza A, pneumonia and a new puppy to boot! 

Welcome Tosho – Our New Arrival

Many of you on social media have already seen the exciting news, but for those who haven’t—let me introduce you to our newest arrival! Kenzie delivered a healthy bull calf on June 16, but not without some drama.

Back to Old-School Calving Checks

With Moocall no longer available in Australia, I was back to three-hourly checks around the clock. For those unfamiliar, Moocall is a tail-mounted sensor that alerts you when calving is imminent—an absolute game-changer that sadly isn’t supported here anymore.

Kenzie was due June 14, give or take ten days either side, so from early June I was keeping a close watch.

The Signs Begin

On June 16, around 5pm, I spotted the subtle but unmistakable sign—her tail was up. Calving was on the way! It's only the slightest lift, but a trained eye can recognise the sign.

The slightest lift of the tail and we knew that it was finally time! Let the super stalking commence.

Of course, she chose dusk to begin. A friend joined me, and I decided the easiest way to continue the supervision was from the comfort of my car. So in we loaded and round into the paddock we went. The car was running with lights on and every now and then I'd hit the high beams to check what was happening. By 6:36pm Kenzie was looking like she had absolutely had enough, but still no hooves in sight. When they finally appeared, I was relieved to see them pointing the right way—soles down. (Soles up mean the calf is backwards and intervention is required, often including a vet).

The Arrival

Within fifteen minutes of the hooves appearing, Kenzie positioned herself beside the hay feeder, blocking our view, and then—suddenly—the calf was here.

Now heifers can be unpredictable things. Those hormones are going crazy and you just don't know how they are going to react. So with great trepidation I started the walk into the paddock to check everything was ok. It was 6.50pm by this point. Keep in mind, I had a total knee replacement in March so was still rather unsteady and not sure how I'd fend off a raging 400kg first time mum.

I am so glad I made that trip though because as I approached, I could see Kenzie was cleaning up the calf, but she was at the wrong end and the calf still had an intact sac over its head. I knew I needed to get this off and fast, and make sure the calf was breathing. Sometimes this requires straw in the nose to tickle the action. With no idea how I'd keep her away and bend down enough to assist the calf I raced back to the car and grabbed one of the crutches. Kenzie, thankfully, was not overly concerned with me being there and i was able to reach over and pull the sac off, allowing the calf to breathe.

With the sac removed, the calf was able to breathe. While mum was cleaning him, she was at the wrong end, so who knows what the outcome might have been if we hadn't been there.

First Steps and First Feed

Half an hour later, the little bull calf was on his feet. Soon after, he latched on for that all-important first feed of colostrum. By morning, I checked again and was thrilled to see him nursing strongly.

From Anxiety to Joy

It struck me how easily this could have ended differently. Without constant checks, we may have lost him and assumed he’d been stillborn. Instead, crisis was averted, and Tosho is here—growing fast, full of cheeky baby bull antics, and already keeping us entertained.

Hoggy showing her rapidly expanding baby belly.

I now have about seven weeks until the next calf is due (Beitidh, with calf #6) and then about three weeks after that Hoggy is due as well. Hoggy is having her first calf so I fully anticipate a load more anxiety to come.

Until next time,
Erica xx