11/15/2025
Life on the farm is full of highs and lows. There are days with all the fun, chaos, and surprises you’d expect—some planned, some not so planned. But there are also days that hit you right in the heart, and last night was one of those.
One of our first-time heifers was due to calve yesterday. We’ve been (not so patiently) waiting and watching her like a hawk, hoping everything would go smoothly. She had shown no signs of trouble earlier in the day, but things took a turn we couldn’t control.
When I got to the farm to feed hay, I noticed she was in labor. As soon as she saw the tractor, she started pacing. I didn’t see any progress yet, so I decided to give her space and planned to check again. She was checked later that evening—still in labor, still not showing distress—so we kept monitoring and praying it would unfold naturally.
Late last night we came back for one last check, hoping to find a healthy new baby on the ground. Instead, we found her in distress and quickly realized the calf was stuck. We got her into the pen as fast as we could and went to work. The pull was tough—this calf was huge—and by the time we got it out, it was clear we were too late. The baby had been in the birth canal too long.
We are absolutely devastated to have lost this calf. Those moments stay with you. But we are also deeply grateful that we were able to save the momma. These days don’t happen often, but when they do, they pull at every heartstring you’ve got. The “what ifs” will always linger, but tonight we’re thanking God that she’s still here with us.
