Maggie's Baby Pictures

Magnolia (Maggie Mae) was born on September 23, 2011 to Rosie.  Rosie is one of the two Jersey cows we're currently milking.  Jersey cows are originally from the island of Jersey which is a small island in the English Channel.  Jerseys produce rich milk that is high in butterfat content.  They are also known for having gentle temperaments. 

We took Rosie down the road earlier this Spring, March 3rd, to a gentleman that has a registered Jersey bull so that we could have Rosie bred.  The courtship was quick and Rosie was back on the farm in less than 24 hours.  Although Rosie hasn't been palpated to confirm that she's pregnant, we have not seen any evidence of her cycling.

Rosie is expecting in December 16th.  In order to prepare, we're going to stop milking her in mid September in order to allow a 3 month 'drying off ' period before freshening.  Freshening is a term used to describe a cow beginning to give milk after calving.  We normally milk our cows for around a year before drying them off and having them bred again.  We aim to have a calf every year so that we stay in milk.

The drying off process is gradual.  As the cow approaches the delivery time, her milk production tapers off a bit.  Experts say that if they are producing less than 2 gallons a day, you can just stop milking all at once.  If they are producing more, you need to milk once a day to relieve them.  Their production is dependent on demand, so the less they are milked, the less they'll produce.

We're beginning to prepare for the birth of Rosie's calf.  Most people hope for a little heifer.  A little girl means more milk for your family later on OR a good price if you decide to sell.  Jersey heifers bring a nice sum at market.  Bulls, on the other hand, either go in the freezer for meat or they can be sold at a lower price.

Since we never know if we'll be around to photograph the birth of her new calf in December, I wanted to rewind about 11 months and show the birth of Maggie being delivered by Rosie.  If you're squeamish, maybe tune back in tomorrow.  This was not a private birthing room and Rosie isn't modest.

You'll notice prior to going into labor, the cow's bag will enlarge, preparing for the production of colostrum and later, milk.  The first sign of labor is that the cow will start walking around kind of funny, twitching her tail and just acting restless.  Finally she'll sit down.  The next thing you know, you'll see little hooves appear.  They are white on the ends.  You can see part of the placenta and the "water" that has broken on the ground.

Rosie is in labor

 It doesn't take long.  The next thing you know, the little calf is on the ground.  An amazing sight.



Just born

 Instinctively, the cow knows how to "mother" her offspring.  This was Rosie's first calf.  She licks off the baby to clean her up.  We checked immediately and were elated to find that it is a heifer (little girl).  Now, one thing that might seem strange is that the mama cow will eat the placenta.  No one knows for sure why they do this other than it is instinctive for cows and some other mammals.  One of the best reasons given is that the scent of the placenta will attract predators such as coyotes or wild dogs that will endanger the newborn calf, so the mama eats it to safeguard her young.  It probably contains nutrients as well.



Bath time. Little Maggie looks on

The calf will continue to become more alert and lively and interested in her new surroundings.  Rosie is very diligent in licking every square inch of her baby.


Rosie takes a break from cleaning up Maggie and Maggie starts making an attempt to stand.  You can see the delivery has sparked an interest from Daisy and a few hens who have come to see the new addition to the barnyard.

Rosie continues grooming Maggie and soon she makes a great effort on shaky, spindly legs to stand up for the first time.

Here are Russ and Benjamin visiting the baby after they've returned from school.  New birth is always so exciting!

Here is a nice close up of Maggie.  What a pretty little girl!




Maggie - One or two days old.

She's still a little unsteady, but Rosie is interested in grass to replenish the store of energy she exhausted during delivery.  That grass will help her produce the colostrum and milk that Maggie needs.  Colostrum is a thick, yellow, sticky substance that is produced by the cow.  It is high in carbohydrates, protein and antibodies and delivers nutrients in a very concentrated dose that the calves need to get off to a good start .  Calves that don't get colostrum are at a disadvantage and often don't make it.  For this reason, we watch very closely to make sure the calf gets this colostrum.  We also usually milk out some of the colostrum and freeze a jar or two should we ever need it.

Fast forward 10 1/2 months and here is Maggie today.  We usually try to breed our heifers at 18 months.



Maggie