Just another photograph having nothing whatsoever to do with the text of the post....Becky brought most of my houseplants back in last night as I was in the barn late attempting to calve Alan's old cow, Voldemar. Calf was upside down, contracted tendons, I couldn't get it. All I could feel was one upside down hoof, no head, no second foot anywhere I could reach. Not good. I gave the old girl a second bottle of sub cu calcium and waited for the experts to get home....seems a guy the other side of Albany paid Liz a hefty amount of money to drive over and breed a cow for him. Her dad went along to see to her general safety while driving through the edge of the city so late in the evening.
When they got home our resident college graduate righted the calf and got it out. A heifer. I have been nursing this poor old cow for months, trying to save her. She has not done too badly up until a couple days ago when she went down and couldn't quite get back on her feet. Liz says the hormone, relaxin, loosens the joints so badly on a close up cow, that if they have problems to begin with they get worse. I have despaired for the last week of getting the calf safely and I am grateful to Liz and the boss for getting it done so late last night.
I am also grateful to Alan, who wants to give me the calf because I have tried so hard for the old cow. Baby is still in pretty good shape this morning, although she probably needs a shot of selenium.
******Take a minute if you have one and visit a new blog in the blogroll, Dino Giacomazzi. He has some wonderful videos of California farm life, including the birth of a calf.
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13 comments:
Here's hoping that both the calf and her mom make a quick recovery from their ordeal.
Well, I would bet that this was the last calf for the old girl huh?
Amazing. The things you guys do on a regular basis.
That was awful nice of Alan. I am sure you and the boss are glad to have such a bright daughter like Lizzy. Good job bringing them all up!! I will go visit that site.
Hope they both make it.
I hope it all turns out OK. Good job!
You all did a great job to save the calf and the cow. I hope they both improve everyday.
They are predicting a stretch of good weather for us North Easterners - lets hope they are right :)
Hope they both make a full recovery. Great kids!!!
Joated, thanks
Tim, it will be for sure
FC, sometimes it even amazes me.
Lisa, thanks, we are generally happy with them...most of the time. lol
I was real happy with them that night. If you had told me Liz could get that calf away I would have shaken my head. I thought the whole thing was hopeless.
The Wife,thanks
Laurie, thank you
Deb, I am sure hoping for a stretch of good weather. They only have a few acres of corn left to plant and we are just itching to get it in...and thanks for the kind words
Scott, thanks guy and thanks for the lovely oranges!
I have just finished catching up on your blog (we've been cutting hay).
There are several dairy farmers around us and three of them are our friends. They also are having the same ugly stress as everyone else in the United States. My heart breaks for each and everyone of you. If I could help I would. I truly would.
This horrible economy is ruining people left and right and increasing taxes even faster.
I am so sorry! I really am.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
Great work everyone. Amazing the stuff we do.....I need a Liz!
Linda, I feel guilty about complaining. So many other people are crashing and burning through no fault of their own. People who didn't have bad loans or borrow more than could afford. Just poor folks who had the misfortune to have what they thought were good jobs, who lost them to other people's folly. I feel so bad for all of them. I sure hope things turn around and very soon. Take care, and I hope you get great weather for your haying!
Teri, thanks. Everybody need a Liz! There was a guy here to look at a roof we need fixed yesterday. I was resurrecting an old milk can for my garden and she quickly offered to lug it to the house for me. He was astonished that so young a person would be so eager to help....she is though.
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