We last reported about LuLu calving in the hottest, driest, most miserable time ever. It put her in heat stress and possibly a touch of milk fever. We have been doctoring on her for a week now. I have been running the water sprinkler since we haven't had rain in a month. I'm trying to keep a patch of grass alive for her to eat. Here's old girl standing in the water sprinkler cooling off. Reminds me of what we'd do when we were kids!
We have been feeding her a little sweet feed mixed with alfalfa and have been drenching her 3 times a day with molasses, apple cider vinegar and Epsom salt. At first we were bottle feeding Nicky a little bit to supplement, but we've stopped that. LuLu appears to be producing milk for him. In fact, we milked out her back teats last night. We don't want her to get mastitis. We'll soon start milking once a day. Nicky is looking spry and healthy now.
His umbilical cord has not fallen off yet. We have been checking his little horn buds on his head. I would assume in another week, we'll de-horn him. He won't like that a bit!
LuLu is not out of the woods, but I wouldn't say she's in "ICU" like she was. Here she is slowly eating sweet feed mixed with alfalfa.
And here she is eating some hay while keeping a close eye on her little bull calf. Although a first time mother, she has the motherly instincts.
If we would just get some rain and some cooler temperatures, I think things would get better. We see no respite in sight. Next week temperatures one day are showing 104. Yikes!
No comments:
Post a Comment