Calving Season Starts

It's officially here, calving season. Had the first one yesterday, a nice little black heifer that came to be, unassisted and hungry. Just the way I like 'em. The weather is taking a pretty nasty turn for the worse tonite, with everything from flash flood warnings, to ice, to up to 6 inches of snow by tomorrow. Right now it's icing up pretty fast, and that's the worst kind of weather for a new calf. For those uninitiated in the ways of cows and the timeliness of calves being flung out of their wombs into the world... bad weather makes 'em hit the ground with a promise. If a cow is close to being ready to calve, the sudden swing in barometric pressure sends 'em right over the edge. The worst kind of weather to have a baby calf in? The kind that's happening right now, freezing rain. Yup. A calf has to get dry once after it's born for everything to work out right. It hits the ground wet and the first thing momma does, if she's a good mom and not dreaming of becoming a Happy Meal, is lick that baby dry. Once it's dry and gets a little colostrum in it's tummy... a little snow or rain usually isn't gonna kill it.

In a perfect world, they'd always be in the barn to calve, but that just doesn't happen. We try to calve the heifers (cows that are having their first calf) in the barn. Makes it a much happier experience for me. A heifer will often need some help in getting the calf outta that awkward position, which is not the womb and not the open air. :-) If I've gotta go elbow to shoulder deep into a cowgina, fishing around for a soon to be born baby, whilst staring at beef rectum, I'd like it to be happening in place where everyone concerned is as comfortable as possible. When I'm staring at beef rectum I usually think of the Care Bears or Chocolate cake. It helps.

So, I'm hoping that nothing is happening right at this moment with the cows. There weren't any that looked eminent, but anything can happen. Yee haw.

One other thing that I remembered after posting the donkey pics the other day. Used to be a fellow just south of me that raised registered Simmental cattle and he always broke a bunch to lead for show stock and etc. First he'd catch them and put a halter on them and tie them in the barn for a few days with plenty to eat and drink but with a radio playing to get them used to noise. The next phase was to tie 'em up to an old donkey he had. It was kind of a silly sight to see, a big 700-800 pound calf tied up to a donkey, just walking around in the barnlot. Thing is, when that donkey wants to stop... EVERYBODY stops. When that donkey wants to walk... EVERYBODY walks. After a few days of donkey school, you could lead that calf anywhere he wanted to go.

Okay I'm done. :-)