I haven't posted anything for a long time, I know...but I just couldn't miss this one! I just delivered this calf all by myself! This is the first time I've ever done anything like this all by myself with absolutely no one else around. Gary is away at a seminar today and it is quite mild and I thought I better go over to check on the temperature in the barn. I was glad I did because I discovered a loose calf sucking on a cow - a definite no no!! So, after I managed to catch the calf and tie her up, I heard the moan of a cow in labour. My immediate thought was "Oh no, Gary's not home!". When I got the courage to go look, I discovered two feet, a nose and tongue sticking out. I was worried because they felt cold, so I figured she was having a hard time pushing the baby out. What to do?! I found Gary's calving chains, wrapped them around the hoofs and pulled as she tried to push. It didn't take too long before the calf slipped out. Gary makes everything look so easy when I watch him do that - that baby was heavy! It was all I could do to get him (yes, unfortunately, him...not a heifer that we could keep!) up beside mama so she could clean him off. What a feeling to know that I can and did do that!! Baby seems OK and mama will be milked for the first time in her life this evening - this was her first calf as well as mine!
In other news, we have some seeds germinating - nothing up yet, though. We're looking forward to Matt coming home from NSAC soon!
yahoo kelly!!! Nice works! There is little else in life as satisfying as having such a direct connection to life (and death) as a farm can offer eh? Great job! Keep the posts coming! haha.
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