The new calf barn isn't quite complete (it's always that pesky last 2% that takes the longest in any project). However, the dairy owners found a buyer for all their old calf hutches so they had no choice but to place the just-born calves in the new barn. They have 12 new calf hutches there for the calves who are too young yet to join the others in communal pens. I like these new hutches - they are located inside the barn, have a walk way in the front and the back, the far wall of each can be removed to give them better ventilation (as in this picture) or blocked to keep them warmer, there are two bucket rests in front so the calf can't tip over milk/water, and they are even in sight of mom (just on the other side of the green lawn). This calf was born on Sunday and, as you can see, she has her head through one of the openings checking to see if I've "got milk."
2 comments:
The calf looks pretty big for just a few days old. Quite a different setup from the calf barn we remember. It became rather intense to feed one calf and fight off the others trying to get their head in the bucket too.
Yes Brent is sure right. I had 8 heifers to pail feed and they tried to suck each other's ears off after slurping down the milk.
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