Eva's Fourth Calving Date Competition, 2014
On Monday, 3rd of November 2014 at 11.19pm, Eva gave birth to a son!
On your behalf I stood out in the beautifully still moonlit night from 10.40pm, watching Eva in labour. After a lot of slurpy, squelching sounds and some getting up and lying down, Eva dropped him from standing and was then, as I wrote this, licking him dry and by midnight he would have been up and feeding.
Eva and her son on 4 November.
CONGRATULATIONS to Bernie in Melbourne, who correctly guessed today.
Long-time readers of this website will have been familiar with, and may have participated in the annual Isla's Calving Date Competition, which ran each year from 2001 until 2009. Isla died at the end of 2009.
In 2011 Virago Eva 81, Isla's great Granddaughter, calved for the first time and the annual competition has since centred on her.
Anyone may enter from anywhere in the world. Entry is FREE.
At the close of the competition only your first name and location will be published on this website; email addresses will only be used for contact in regard to this competition (and the update emails, if you request them); we never pass them on to anyone else.
The (hopefully) happy event will be announced as soon after it occurs as possible.
When will Eva calve?
Photo taken 24 September 2014.
The usual gestation period for cattle is 275 - 290 days (about two weeks longer than human babies). Eva's first two daughters were born on day 276, sired by Joe 90 and last year's daughter was born on day 282, sired by BT Right Time 24J.
This year's calf is sired by Pono of Kawatiri and I inseminated Eva on 26 January at 7am.
You must enter a date (not just a number of days) and a time. Anyone guessing a really horrible time in the early hours should consider sending me a present as compensation for lost sleep!
Guessing the sex of the calf is just an extra bit of fun, although if two people guess the correct time and one gets the sex wrong, that would decide the winner.
The prize is the winner's choice of a six-month subscription to New Zealand Lifestyle Block Magazine or a weekend for two on the farm as our guests, for guessing closest to the actual time of calving.
This Competition closed at midnight on Monday 27 October 2014.
Thank you all for your entries as listed below:
| 26 October | Hannah, Kaukapakapa: 5.03pm, heifer |
| 29 October | Renée, Otaki: 5am, heifer Jude, Auckland: 11.30pm, bull |
| 31 October | Ruth, Diggers Valley: 6.45am, heifer Chris, Waitoki: 10:37:30, bull Tyrel, Blenheim: 2.54pm, heifer |
| 1 November | Joyce, Loveland Ohio: 7.23am, bull Sheryl, Hikurangi: 7.30am, heifer Shelley, Waitakere Township: 8.20am, heifer Melanie, Mississippi: 1.30pm, heifer Fran and L-J, Opiki: 4pm, heifer Steve, Huntly: 4.30pm, bull Sandy, Central Hawkes Bay: 7pm, heifer Sue, Levin: 8.45pm, heifer Megan, Martinborough: 11.45pm, bull |
| 2 November | Emma, Blenheim: 6am, heifer Jachin, Auckland: 6.38am, heifer Stephan, Diggers Valley: 10.30 am, bull |
| 3 November | Bernie, Melbourne: 12:15 pm, heifer |
| 4 November | Suzi, Upper Waiwera: 1.35pm, heifer Jon, Waitakere Township: 1.40pm, heifer |
| 5 November | Dominique, Wisconsin: 11.59pm, heifer |
| 7 November | Maria, East Taieri: 4.09pm, bull |