Another calf for Carmelita?

Carmelita got a.i.ed the other day.  We used Hired Gun sexed semen on her.  Can't wait to see if it took!

Countdown to CUPCAKE

My Jersey, Carmelita, is due to calve around April 11th.  Her udder is starting to BLOOM.  Her baby will be CUPCAKE...unless I change my mind again.  I'm hoping that little Cupcake will be as big of a blessing as her mother.

I bought Carmelita with some of my premium sale money from last year.  I was not in the market for a Jersey.  I thought I was going to buy a Brown Swiss or a Milking Shorthorn.  Instead, I bought TWO Jerseys.  The little one got Reserve Breed Champion at the Oklahoma State Fair, and Carmelita got Grand Champion at our county show.  Grand Champion is the only dairy heifer allowed in the premium sale.  She brought $5100 plus some booster club money plus some add-on money I also don't know the amount of.

OH! I almost forgot!  When I bought Carmelita, he A.I.ed her, too, but he used conventional semen because it was a freebie, and we're getting a heifer out of her anyway!  So it's like I bought one, and got one free!

So I think it's around two weeks from now that little Cupcake will make her debut.  We are praying for protection, an easy delivery with no complications, and great strength and health for daughter and dam.

Godbless Shebull Cupcake!

Getting close to CUPCAKE time!

SUNDAY, APRIL 7TH, 2013

Can't go check on Carmelita until I get back from my appointment in the city Monday evening.  She's not due until Thursday, but every day for the last week, we've been just SURE she would be in labor.  Every day we go check on her and do chores, and every day she looks the same.  Her vulva is GIANORMOUS.  A couple of days ago it was sticking out further than her udder in the back!  Let's put it this way, it was so big that Christy took a picture of it and sent to Alan!  Christy says that at this rate, Cupcake will be able to WALK out.  We've been praying for a quick, easy calving with no complications.  We've been praying for strength for daughter and dam with no sickness.

The weather has been beautiful the last few days.  Tomorrow and Wednesday it is supposed to storm.  Hail, wind, rain, possible tornados, too.  This does NOT make me happy.  I just want my girls to be safe.

******Monday Update
Mom was sick at home all day.  She said that she had the nagging feeling that today was going to be Cupcake day.  She said it was the same kind of feeling she had the night we helped deliver Prim.

After school when we went to do chores, we ran into Christy.  She wanted to know if Carmelita was standing when we came.  She wasn't.  Christy said that she was on her way to the barn to get carriers for the petting zoo chicks, and she could have sworn that she saw hooves sticking out, but she said that by the time she turned around and came back, Carmelita had stood up, so they sucked back in.  She said that she wouldn't be surprised to see us again before morning.  So we went home and waited on a phone call.


*******Tuesday Update
The weather was good all night.  At 6:50 we got a phone call!  Christy said that there were legs sticking out, so we could head on over!
Then, at 7:01, she called back and said Cupcake was on the ground and Carmelita was cleaning her up.
The weather was GREAT!  Nice and warm.  We got to Windy Hill and Carmelita was still cleaning her.  We wiped her off some, too.  We gave her some Novartis and used Vetericyn umbilical, navel, and udder spray on both of them. Before we went to school, Cupcake stood up and we made sure she sucked.

Welcome to the world GODBLESS SHEBULL CUPCAKE!

She's up!

We checked on them at lunchtime, and Cupcake was up and following Carmelita around.

By the time I got out of school, Cupcake was totally dry and fluffy.  She had a full belly and was sleepy after her long ordeal.  While we were there, she started nodding off to sleep, but was fighting it.  It was so cute!

She's beautiful.  The only thing that would make her better is if she would have any white.  Carmelita has some.  Shebull's last offspring was a bull, but he had LOTS of white from a plain dam.

Cupcake is strong and energetic and FRIENDLY.  She's so sweet.

Thank you, Lord, for the sweetest little Cupcake ever!  I have high hopes for her!