First calf of 2021!

Well, I had been up every 4 hours checking cows all night already. About 7:30 in the morning I ran out to grab an egg to finish out a dozen. Upon review, with the neighbor’s 4 year old’s binoculars, I could see my old red cow had a water bag out. Go time!!! I tried to walk her in the barn but she was having NONE of it. So I left her to do her deal. Sure enough, I watched her walk to the far back of the pasture and calve. I gave her about 5-10 minutes after she calved and started putting my bibs back on. Hated to wait very long since the temp was right around zero.

Here is where being a “tiny rancher” comes in pretty handy. She calved at the backside of the pasture but that’s still only about 200 yards from the barn. So I thought I would just carry in back rather than get the Yamaha Viking out, the snow is so deep right now and the cows get worked up when it comes out. I got to the calf and it already had ice hanging from his mouth and his wet hide was getting crusty. So, I scooped him up and away we went. Now I’ve carried hundreds of calves and of all different weights. Therefor I’m not sure if this calf was that big, I’m that out of shape, or if the snow was just that deep but, I only made it halfway and had to set the calf down in a pile of hay! I also sat down and had to rest like a chain smoker would rest after a marathon.

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Finally after just a couple minutes I picked him back up and on into the barn we went. I had already bedded with straw and even put out a bag of shavings after she calved so I had a good spot to lay him in. My wife was on her way with some towels to get the little guy dried off. By the time she got to the barn I had finally regained enough air to actually be able to talk.

Once I dried him off we shut her in a pen in the barn and left the pair alone for a few hours. I was able to watch him from the house with the Wyze Outdoor cameras I got for my birthday (lazy rancher). Within just a few minutes he was up nursing. The cow is a hereford angus cross cow and I bred her to an angus bull. I’ve had calves by a hereford, corriente, and now an angus bull out of her and this definitely is the toughest calf so far.

So by the time we were ready for supper I went ahead and turned the pair back out. They sure are a good pair as they were the only ones to bed down outside last night. The other cows were all hot rodding the fresh bedding. So stay tuned for more calving stories and remember to shop SK Leather and eat beef!