This post is about calving , but it could be about any thing we do . we do our best , and are vigilant , and it still sometimes goes wrong . Most of the calving this year has gone pretty well. we have gotten through some nasty weather , more or less unscathed. and the calves are for the most part doing well. I have one little heifer here that is , well just not quite all she could be, she is drinking and mobile enough , but a little slow and a bit "off" I affectionately call her "Stupid Cupid" not sure why , but it fits. She falls behind, and gets on the wrong side of the fence, and while she has a good momma , she is a bit more lethargic than the others,not sick , just not "right " . SO you can imagine I am keeping a pretty close eye on her, making sure she is always where she needs to be and doing OK.
Things like this happen, and hopefully she will continue to improve.then there are the problem calvings , the neighbor called for help the other day, and Martin and I went to assist in a calving , of one GINORMOUS calf !
I honestly thought when we got there that the calf was not going to make it , his head was swollen and his tounge was purple, and he just wasn't coming. A bit of teamwork and a bunch of hard work later , we got him out , alive, momma looked a little done in, but sure enough jumped right up , and all is well.
It doesn't always go that well, and there are losses , which are frustrating and devastating , but part of it all the same . My dad reminded me today after a fairly rotten situation here , of something my late Uncle Albert used to say "if you can't handle dead stock, you shouldn't have livestock" or something to that effect. Sad but true , it comes with the territory, it is absolutely not the goal , but it happens.
Sometimes, a perfectly simple situation goes horribly wrong in the blink of an eye. But thank goodness, more often than not ,it goes well.
And sometimes if you are very lucky and quiet, and the timing is right , you get to witness it going right , in the very best way!
Caution, while the following pictures are a natural thing, they may be more graphic than some prefer to see
Stay safe all
