Finally -- The Progression of a Kid

So...has anyone been wondering when the caribou baby pictures were going to come?

Here's the problem.  Last year, we had two breeding choices -- a yearling caribou bull or a mature reindeer bull.  There were problems with both options.  We were taking a big chance breeding with the yearling bull both in terms of whether he actually was fertile and whether the cows would let him breed them.  But...if we had a large calf crop, we had a home for pure caribou calves...but not one for more reinbou calves (we got lucky last year and found them homes...it probably wouldn't happen again).  Which made the decision more easy...but still we knew that it may come back to bite us.

The good news is: Milo was/is fertile.  And if we were okay with having July babies again (we weren't), we may have had more kids.  Here's an interesting tidbit about ungulates...females will let yearlings breed them but always weeks after the normal breeding cycle.  In some of my work and others looking at reproductive hormones, it looks like they 'short-cycle' presumably hoping a mature male becomes available.  If one doesn't, after 1 to 2 rounds of this short-cycle, they will let the yearling breed them.  Given the birthdate of our one calf, Rowan probably bred at the tail end of when we had the bull in with them.  So holding him there for 1 to 2 weeks more may have given us a few more calves.  Hindsight is 20/20 right?

Logistically speaking -- not having calves makes all our lives easier.  Data analysis/interpretation...well, that's a whole other issue and it's going to hurt us.  But it is what it is.  One learns with this kind of work that you have to roll with some things because no amount of stress or worrying is gonna change biology or mother nature.  But the other downside -- even with the disasters we had last year, a high point for me is the calving season with all the cuties and getting to train them and mess with them.  There's always next year though.  So that begs the question...this year do we breed with Milo as a 2-year old or the mature reindeer bull?  Stay tuned for that decision because we have yet to decide...  ;)

In the meantime, meet Ripley -- our one and only calf of the year.  I'll give points to whoever gets that movie reference (our technicians showed up and thus begins the process of remembering that I really have nothing in common with most 20-year-olds...most had never even heard of this particular movie!). Your hint?  Our little Ripley is a girl.

A progression of photos so you can see how fast they grow/change.

MINUTES OLD

 

ONE HOUR OLD 

 

  

 ONE DAY OLD

THREE WEEKS OLD (you should be able to see the attitude change just in her facial expression and how she is laying)

 

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Now Playing:  Sailing to Philadephia by Mark Knopfler and James Taylor


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