Getting ahead of the chills
A month ago, I saw the February calving date approaching and thought about all the times I’d seen heifers decide on just the wrong place for the wind and weather, despite ample shelter.
I always tried to right the wrong and at least once each year I brought a chilled calf into my basement office to attempt saving it with towels, hair dryer and space heater. Even tried the bathtub last year when we were about to get a new bathtub. Those various attempts were sometimes disappointing and never easy to attempt, so I looked into buying a calf warming hut.
People have built some good ones, and others say they use the pickup heater on the floorboard, but they may have more experience. I decided to go with something proven; I need an automatic calf-sitter when business hours come around and I have to get on a conference call or write or edit something.
There were four contenders we could have for $50 either side of $700, delivered; not knowing enough to differentiate, we went with the lower end and have been happy with it.
Three calves from the heifers have spent a couple of hours each within the thermostatically 
controlled 100-degree hut and enjoyed the momma-and-calf reunions.
A 15-day-early calf was born to the nearby AI cow herd on a 10-degree night, but he was a big and robust calf in no need of extra help.
Amazingly, no calves in the last day with the cold and snow, but I do have a waterer to thaw before the rest of the day gets started. Just for the contrast, I’m going to cross-reference this under “hot topics.”
Hope all your calves do well today and everybody enjoys some creature comforts.
Let’s keep building tomorrow together.
Steve
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