03/21/2025
23 had one chaotic day today.
She began her morning beginning to calve in the wee morning hours. I went out to check her at 8, and everything was upside down, literally. She managed to lay in an uneven spot and had her legs straight in the air. Thank God there was enough of a decline for me to roll her completely over for her to get up.
In case you didn't know, when a cow lays to far over their lungs fill with the fluid they usually would swallow. It doesn't take long for an otherwise healthy animal to drown in their own secretions. We are extremely lucky I caught her in time.
Once 23 got up, I watched her for a while, and noticed her calf was not progressing. I was thinking the calf was gone from her being upside down, and perhaps its head got turned back in her birth canal. I called Scott and he came home as soon as he could. .
He got home and went of to catch the cow and called me out to help pull the calf. I feared the worst as I trekked to the pen. When I saw the feet I was in shock, they are the size of my hands. We knew this was going to be a hard pull. But thankfully, the calf was still very much alive.
So pull we did, with all we had, to bring the baby earth side. It was tough, but I wouldn't trade my calving partner with anyone. We just work together slow and steady. I talk to the cow, helping the calf exit her as painlessly as possible, while giving directions on slow or fast, making sure we're not pulling to fast to hurt the cow, and being slow enough to give the calf the squeeze it needs to be vibrant on the outside. Scott pulls with all his might giving the constant pressure needed to have a successful birth.
When the calf finally was out, Scott brought him to 23, but she was in so much pain she just didn't have it in her to lick him. I began rubbing him down, getting him as dry as I could while Scott went to extend the wind break for them. We both were shocked how large he was: 100+ lbs for sure.
We use calving ease bulls- meaning they are bred to have smaller calves. We've been buying our bulls locally in Poplar WI for 7 years now, and have had great success with them, but sometimes the genes get mixed up just right you end up with a calf like Big John.
23 will be sore for a while but we are providing her some pain relief to help take the edge off so she can take care of Big John. I am so thankful today ended with an extra life and not two lost. Such are the ways of cattle farming. Its never a dull moment!
