Hello baby!

I arrived at the farm this afternoon just as calf number 3 of the day had been born. Mum was giving him a clean up after having her calcium supplement ' milkshake', to prevent milk fever.

Milk fever is a metabolic disease caused by a low blood calcium level, which occurs after calving because milk and colostrum production drain calcium (and other substances) from the blood, and some cows are unable to replace the calcium quickly enough. High producers are more susceptible because the fall in their blood calcium level is greater. Older cows are more susceptible as they tend to have a higher milk production.

( Colostrum is a form of milk that contains antibodies to protect the newborn calf against disease, as well as being lower in fat and higher in protein than ordinary milk. )

Lou and I took Winnie and Beans for a nice 3 hr hack, so no doubt I'll be feeling the effects of that over the next couple of days!