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| Cevin |
First thing this morning as previously mentioned, I checked on my little Citation R Maple daughter, Betty, who was due to have a calf. Not much happening but I could tell it would be soon.
Come chore time she was having a good go at producing her baby, but its legs were crossed, the head was beside them instead of on top, and it was huge!
Things were not going well at all. We tried a couple of times to reposition the assorted parts without much success and waited to see how she would do.
Nada.
Zip.
Zilch. She was getting exhausted and mooing so miserably. Finally we decided to pull it.
What a job. Liz and I worked at it for a while, trying to pull on those great big feet, while attempting to move the head into alignment where it belonged. We kinda, sorta, got things lined up a little better, then the boss gave us a hand.
I couldn't believe after we finally got the head delivered how much calf came out of that little cow. It just kept sliding out, long legs, long body, more long legs. After all that it was standing up five minutes later.
Betty was very taken with it and began to mother it and try to get up right away, but she seemed to have a bit of trouble. However, while I was running around the barn gathering up the stuff needed to doctor on her, she hopped onto her feet and proceeded to horn the heck out of that baby.
Why I hate horns on cows! Only a couple of ours have them, and things like this are just why......First time mama, she had no clue what to do with the little one and decided it was a pest and had to go.
All right, no problem, it would be bottle raised anyhow.....just gonna start a little sooner. We moved it where she could see it and enjoy it without killing it. Maybe she will feel better about it later.
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7 comments:
My heavens she was HUGE and it was low...then after much tugging and pulling there is was..and she horned it! SISH!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Wow. Just "Wow."
Sometimes I wonder how ANY of us moms, human or bovine, manage to love the babies that cause us so much pain to get born. Sounds like it was quite an ordeal for all of you. Good luck with the new baby.
I will never eat cheese again without a whole new appreciation for people like you. I hope baby is easy to raise.
My bro-in-law(Staffordshire Farms) says that some of the best Citation R Maple daughters ever were in Dutchess Co. in the 1980s. He could not figure out why I sent him email asking about their (Staffords) bloodlines way back when. He's been related to me for 43 yrs, so he is never surprised by anything I say by now. :o)
Reason number 25 why I didn't go into OB-GYN
I only delivered a couple of babies in med school, and they were slippery as hell and afraid I was going to drop them. But at least their mother didn't hook me with horns...
You have more excitement in a week on your farm than most people have in a year!
LInda, sometimes you get one that just doesn't know how to be a mama. It's okay...we will play mama for her
Cathy, we are keeping our fingers crossed that Betty will stay healthy for us. She is having a little trouble getting up and down...probably a pinched pelvic nerve after having that mammoth calf. Lots of sand in her bed morning and night.
WW, some critters just aren't very good mamas. She does like having it near her, just a bit out of reach so she doesn't hurt it. and it is a lively little guy.
Jan, so far, so good. He likes his bottle just fine and is a little cutie
Keith, When I was expecting our own little angels I warned the nurses not to let the boss anywhere near with baling twine...the tool of choice to get some purchase to pull on those very slippery calf legs. lol I can't imagine delivering a human child...just can't....what an awesome responsibility!
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