Day 36 ~ Dairy Barns

Today I woke up at 5:00 to make it to the dairy barns by 6:00. They had started milking at 4, but I got there to help them finish up for the last hour. After the milking, I fed Baby Kacie and taught her how to suckle on a teat instead of my finger, she thinks I'm her mom now and perks up every time she sees me coming. Too bad she won't fit in my suitcase! Then, Les showed me how to "ping" for displaced abomasums (DA). I found one cow that has an LDA, and another he has an RDA. They will be treated accordingly with either medicine or surgery. Then, we found a couple of lame cows and worked on their feet. One cow had a particularly bad sole ulcers that we cut away. I practiced giving both sub-Q and IM injections, and palpated a few cows for metritis. Les explained to me a few things that can cause a DA such as: ketosis (sweet breath), Metritis, Mastits, lameness, stress, calving, environment changes, etc. Basically, anything that stops a cow from eating. I am learning so much and Les is really impressed with my work learning desire, confidence, and the amount I already know and understand about cattle. Thank-you Wilson College and Greencastle Vet!

I think the calves are my favorite!

Whatchya doin?

I like to suck on fingers

Whazzzzzup!?!

The Parlor

Cows are so inquisitive and like to eat my pants!

What a beauty!

All the ladies lined up!

We can milk 32 at one time!

After lunch, I watched my first live calving! It was very exciting and happened within a half hour! I got the entire calf-coming-out on a 6 minute video! Then it was time to start milking the 240 and take care of the 30 or so calves including Baby Kacie and the newborn calf that I deemed "Daisy"! Les scared me when he said all the calves were out and jokingly blamed me for leaving the gate open when really it was him! Can't trust dairy farmers! After cleaning up the parlor, I headed up to catch some supper, take a hot shower (clean all the poo out of my hair), and relax.

Les: "Kacie, what's that!?"

 Kacie: "Oh my gosh! Something is coming out of her butt! It's happening!"

Here come the feet!

I see a head!

Calf on the ground! a little heifer  

World meet Daisy, Daisy meet world