Another Calf!

Maybe this is getting old, but not for us! Tera and Maureen spent the whole day yesterday fussing over one of our first-calf heifers. She was obviously uncomfortable--only picking at the hay when usually she's one of the pushiest in the herd when it comes to feeding. Well by afternoon, she was trying to find a quiet place to lie down and do her business. First she tried a fairly conspicuous spot by the road, then headed up the hillside toward the old cabins. Neither spot was acceptable to Tera and Maureen, so they went out late afternoon and "walked" her into the corral, with help from our neighbor, Gary. (Where was I? I was up the hill with my three oldest kids, tobogganing; somebody's got to have a little fun around here!) By the time we got back, the heifer's water had broke and she was clearly in labor. On their way to dinner, our friends, the Pyeatts let us know that she was down and that a hoof was visible. So, out we went. (None of us, except Maureen, had ever witnessed the event in person--by a cow, that is.) Within 20 minutes (about 5:00 p.m.) she'd given birth and was licking the calf clean. Maureen later remarked that she'd never seen a calf so alert on its way out. The calf was shaking its head and blowing snot (er, amniotic fluid) before her hooves ever hit the ground. As far as first calves go, it was uneventful! And that's just fine with us.