It's a heifer!!

Gabi (finally!!) calved! We found a beautiful red/brown heifer calf, already on the ground and licked off this morning!! I was SOO excited to see it was a girl-her Daddy was Eric, my reg'd Dexter bull, whom I sold last falll. She's that pretty red/brown colour all over, except for some white on her tummy and a few hairs in her tail. I would say she is over 80 lbs-I can't pick her up!! But looong legs!! I'm planning on keeping her. I'm thinking of Taffeta (Taffy).

One of our mares, Wonder, kept getting in my way when I went out there with the camera to get some baby pix (this is the last one I'm waiting on to foal). Well, I thought she was just being curious at first. Then-she suddenly went for Gabi-ears pinned back, teeth bared. Gabi backed up, snorted, and shook her horns at the mare, then moved towards the calf again-and the mare repeated these actions!! I think maybe she thought she should be able to adopt the calf! She's never been agressive towards the cows before. Anyways, enough was enough for me! I grabbed a halter and tied up the mare, and moved Gabi and baby into the barn and shut the gate to give them some private time!

Gabi's bag is VERY FULL!! I had to milk her back teats out with thumb and forefinger-that's all the room there was on her overfull teats, til I took some pressure off!! And of course, she's a little sore (can't blame her!) and concerned about her baby. And the mosquitos here are TERRIBLE!! Still, she behaved quite well-I'm so proud of her! I cannot describe just what a joy it is to have a milk cow, even through the trying times, and times like this-new sweet baby calf and fresh milk on the way-are just perfection!!