We have had a busy summer season in the dairy with 11 calves born since June 1st, including one set of twins!
The new babies are eagerly anticipated by the dairy team. They are a joy to observe and care for. The new energy & life they bring is quickly incorporated into the daily routines of our dairy: The babies walk with the herd from the pasture to the milking parlor each day, bumbling along and getting into mischief.
On the morning of June 6th, Hibiscus gave birth to a stunning little calf we named Hope. She has several very unique markings which include a white heart on her left side and a white lightning bolt on her right side. Hope and Hibiscus are both now grazing out with our nurse herd. The dairy cows rotate in and out of active milking duties, and the nurse herd consists of animals who are not currently being milked.
On a hot afternoon in mid June, as I went down to check on the water for the dairy herds before heading home that day, I saw that Nutmeg was in labor. I have a special fondness for Nutmeg and I stayed in the field to monitor. She delivered a healthy calf which was gratifying because she had given birth the previous year to a still-born calf. After leaving them to check on the other waters, I circled back to check once more on Nutmeg & her calf about 20 minutes later. I was surprised to see she had just given birth to a second calf: a healthy set of twins!
The arrival of new calves is exciting and also comes with added duties and challenges that need to be carefully considered and monitored. We occasionally have calves that require regular bottle feeding. Every bottle offered is recorded and communicated to the rest of the team to ensure that all calves are receiving proper nutrients and are thriving.
One of the things I really enjoy is watching the dairy crew members connect with the cows. Our Jerseys are very sweet-natured animals and you may be surprised to learn that each cow has a unique personality, tendencies and quirks. Inevitably, many of the dairy team have a favorite cow: Eve's favorite is Ginger, Joy adores Catalan, my favorite calf is Hope, and Kendra, though here only for the summer, quickly took to Olive!
Over the summer we had a case of milk fever which is caused by an imbalance of calcium in the blood. Left untreated, milk fever can be fatal as it causes the animal to lose energy and lie down for too long. Jersey cows that have had more than 4 calves are particularly at risk of developing milk fever. Since our cows have an average of 5 calves in their lifetime, the Deck dairy herd is comprised of many of these older mamas. Together we developed a successful protocol which included regularly monitoring the new mamas for the first 72 hours. This allows us to catch any early signs of milk fever and to treat the cow with supplemental minerals before the illness progresses.
A highlight of our summer in the dairy was having Kendra Counsell join our team. Kendra was here as a summer intern from Central Oregon University and we thoroughly appreciated having her on our dairy crew. Kendra showed up for work every day with great attitude, was a hard worker and was an instrumental participant in creatively helping us problem-solve and develop more efficient strategies for calf care and herd health. Thank you again, Kendra...we wish you the best as you head into your senior year of college!
