Purebred Registered Mini Jersey Dairy Cows, North Woods Homestead, Priest River, Idaho
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A very Rough Time

7/7/2019

2 Comments

 
North Woods Homestead Mini Jersey heifer North Woods Homestead Lilac A2/A2, NWHomestead.com Purebred Mini Jersey Society PMJS
North Woods Lilac was born to NW Fern on May 31, 2019.  We ran her genetics and learned she's a Homozygous carrier of the prized A2 genes.  This means she's A2/A2 and can only pass A2 to her offspring.  She was tiny and perfect in every way!

Healthy and active, she zoomed around her dam in their double stall, as the six previous calves had done the past year.  The calving stalls are only a year old and side-by-side.  The adjoining gate was kept open so Lilac could frolic but the gate to the pasture was closed.

On June 24th, 2019, we were in the barn showing Lilac off to a friend.  We heard the crash but didn't see it.  Amber told me right away that Lilac had given herself a bloody lip running into the gate leading to the pasture.  I went in to check that it wasn't serious.  But, it was.  I could feel a hinge in the right front lower jaw bone.  The teeth were flooded with blood and I couldn't tell if they were broken.
I started calling local veterinarians and was given the advice to go to WSU Vet School.  It's a two and a half hour drive south, one-way.  My friend helped me milk Fern so we could bring milk for Lilac to the hospital.  

They assessed her and weren't sure where the break was in her jaw or if her jaw was dislocated.  She was given antibiotics for the open wound and an anti-inflammatory to control the swelling.  Dinner was withheld in preparation for surgery the next morning.

​We headed home, relieved that Lilac was where she needed to be to get help.
Purebred Mini Jersey North Woods Homestead Lilac A2/A2 heifer at WSU Veterinary School Hospital ER Purebred Mini Jersey Society PMJS
WSU Veterinary School Hospital ER
North Woods Homestead Purebred Mini Jersey heifer North Woods Homestead Lilac surgery, NWHomestead.com Purebred Mini Jersey Society PMJS
North Woods Homestead Mini Jersey heifer NW Lilac surgery, NWHomestead.com Purebred Mini Jersey Society PMJS
North Woods Homestead Purebred Mini Jersey heifer North Woods Homestead  Lilac surgery, NWHomestead.com Purebred Mini Jersey Society PMJS
She had surgery Tuesday morning to install a pin and wires that loop around her teeth to hold the lower jaw together.  She did really well and ate a full bottle later that day.  The vet students sent this picture of her (below) and it was such a relief!
North Woods Homestead Purebred  Mini Jersey heifer A2/A2 North Woods Homestead Lilac, NWHomestead.com Purebred Mini Jersey Society PMJS
On Wednesday, Amber ad I drove down to WSU with just over 2 gallons of Fern's milk for her calf.  Antibiotics ruin the gut flora so this Raw Milk was critical to Lilac's recovery.  When we returned from and 8 hour trip, I had to get Fern milked out again.  She seemed off and grouchy.  I stepped back and looked her over.  BLOAT!!  How did she get bloated?  Bloat can kill a cow in just hours.  I had to act fast.  The gas was building up and she began rolling on the ground in pain.
North Woods Homestead Mini Jersey NW Fern, NWHomestead.com
NW Fern had a belly ache.
North Woods Homestead Mini Jersey NW Fern, NWHomestead.com
NW Fern had BLOAT!!
I ran to the barn for the empty ketchup bottle and baking soda.  Its not a fancy fix but it's just what she needed.  I also found a bottle of TheraBloat I had stashed for treating legume bloat.  I got that in her and started calling vets for a second time that week.  This was our first case of bloat.  I still wasn't sure what caused it.  ​

In discussing her diet with a vet we realized I had accidentally doubled her pea pellet ration and she's too small to handle it.  She had to be milked twice a day with her calf gone.  I gave her a bucket at each milking, instead of splitting her ration in two!  It was a rookie mistake that nearly killed her.
North Woods Purebred Mini Jersey heifer cow Fern milking at North Woods Homestead, NWHomestead.com Purebred Mini Jersey Society PMJS
Fern can smell Lilac!
North Woods Homestead Purebred Mini Jersey heifer cow Fern milking at North Woods Homestead, NWHomestead.com Purebred Mini Jersey Society PMJS
She licked the towel during milking.
We brought a towel to Lilac that was rubbed on Fern.  Lilac wagged her tail and bucked!  They taped it to the wall in her stall.  We rubbed one on Lilac and brought it back to Fern.  She stood for it to nurse!  We ended up draping it over a gate at milking while they were apart.  They really missed each other.  
Lilac's return home was delayed Friday.  The swelling had gone down and the pin shifted.  After a second surgery, we opted to leave her there for observation.  On Sunday, Lance and I dashed down to retrieve her, worried Ruby would calve while Amber was home alone and we were hours away.  Friends were on standby, just in case.
North Woods Homestead Purebred Mini Jersey cow Ruby, NWHomestead.com Purebred Mini Jersey Society PMJS
NW Ruby heavy with a calf sired by TDH Dino Smurf
Ruby held off calving, thankfully, giving us time to deal with making the gate in the pallet shelter more visible.  We wove in straps and a lead to be sure she saw it.  We're not sure why she crashed into the gate but we had to try babyproofing.  She's kinda klutzy and her only speed is full throttle!  We're praying she can heal.
North Woods Homestead Purebred Mini Jersey heifer Lilac, NWHomestead.com Purebred Mini Jersey Society PMJS
Fancy baby-proofing of the gate
North Woods Homestead Purebred Mini Jersey Lilac, NWHomestead.com A2/A2 Miniature Jersey heifer Purebred Mini Jersey Society PMJS
Lilac, 1 week post accident
North Woods Homestead Livestock Guardian Dogs, Spartan, NWHomestead.com Purebred Mini Jersey Society PMJSSpartan is still my handsome boy!
So, if all that wasn't enough, Amber discovered Sunday night, right after our return, that Spartan had a horrible ear infection.  We are in that field twice a day, every day.  He never let on he wasn't feeling well.  Off to the vet Monday for an exam and meds.  By Friday, he was still feeling rotten so we went back and let them sedate, shave, examine his ear then clean his teeth while he was under.  Turns out both ears were infected!  The assumption is some small punctures from playing with the 10 month old puppies got infected.  He was already on the way to recovery with 4 days of antibiotics on board.  He's on light duty guarding the barn and getting extra love.

Ruby, who was 10 days early with Fern (21.5" at birth) and 3 days with Willow (22" at birth), went overdue by 3 days this time.  We watched her with cameras placed in the barn.  We called it RubyTV and it was on 24/7.  She was bred to sex-sorted semen, giving us a 93% chance of a heifer.  Boy were were surprised!  She finally calved with a bull calf at 1AM July 5th.  He is full blood related to Willow. We named him Porterhouse because he's huge, 27", another rarity for Ruby.  

RubyTV as seen from our couch.
Porterhouse and Ruby
Look at those long legs?!
Bulls tend to be overdue, but it's not a solid rule.  Ruby's sister, Emerald, was 4 days overdue both times and had a heifer then a bull.

​Focused on our blessings, praying for a quieter week, and hoping for lots of sleep,

​Lorinda & Lance
2 Comments
Jenny
7/7/2019 09:46:50 pm

Hi.
You really have had a time of it with all the animals sick.I felt sorry for Fern lying there bloated.I hope Lilacs improving.Im always watching my cows when moving onto new grass.Thankfully it's not clover.i give them hay first and then only move them onto dry grass in the afternoon not when wet.love your posts

Reply
Amy Crawford
7/8/2019 11:16:52 am

A saga of patience and how important close observation is. I'm in awe of how well you stayed on top of things despite a whole string of mishaps. Your livestock are obviously in wonderful hands!

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