Day Three

No pictures because the camera batteries are dead. That is a shame because we had quite an eventful morning trying to get them milked. They are sort of feeling better. I say sort of because they have better attitudes but #64's udder injury is obviously bothering her. Also, it has been about 72 hours since we poured on the dewormer. That means that it is starting to work. Killing off large numbers of internal parasites is bound to make a bovine feel a bit queasy......

On the up side--- sort of---- we had a terrible time getting them in the barn. In fact, #64 just flat refused and collapsed on the ground and threw a fit. The other one thought that it looked like that trick was working so she sulled up and laid down, too. Number 63, will be staying at our farm so she MUST go in the barn for the milking machine. We just can't have her flinging a fit and laying down when she doesn't want to do something, so we worked on her first. Being of a flightier disposition, she just could not lay there while we pushed, pulled and swatted to get her up. She gave in, got up and went in the barn.

While she was in the milking stantion enjoying her special mix of feed, the other one laid on the ground playing dead. While she was down, I made the most of it and doctored her sore teat. Sadly, I decided that it is a total lost cause and will never recover. Best that I can do is keep it from getting infected while it heals over. She will only have three working quarters. I just left her laying there and by the time I had finished up with the one inside, she had decided to get up.

I had to make a decision about how to deal with her. She obviously feels bad. Her udder is sore and it appears to me that the deworming has been harder on her. I grabbed a bucket of feed and set it in front of her. She began to eat and I knelt down and started milking. The farm that she is going to live on does not have a milking machine.They still milk by hand. I decided that it wasn't as important for her to go in the barn. She stood there unrestrained and let me milk her, with out so much as shuffling her feet. I will choose my battles with this girl......

I am trying not to imagine too much but I think that they are already looking a bit better. A little more filled out and little more bright eyed. They both had a snotty noses this morning but are breathing deep and clear.

So was I, after trying to drag them around by their halter ropes......