Nursery Times

And still the babies come! We've just tagged calf # 8, or will tomorrow, since he was just born an hour ago!

It's been a busy week in the calving pasture. We awoke yesterday to find one had died when the membrane covering his nose hadn't broken. His momma loved him, but she started off licking his hind legs, which didn't help his nose at all.

So Goddy roamed around the ranch for a while, feeling a bit blue as you do when this happens. He started calling around to see if anyone had a spare calf, and lo and behold, our friend Russ did. How's that for a divine intervention? This little calf is real lively and knows just where the feed taps are. But when Goddy put the skin of the dead calf on him, the mother was so spooked by her suddenly resurrected baby that she ran off bellowing. Thankfully, she ran the same direction that the calf was going, which was toward the cattle chute and yards we have set up. Goddy got them settled into separate pens so they could get accustomed to each other, though I think the calf was prepared to bond instantly, as long as there was food. It took the cow a bit longer, but today they're co-habitating happily. I think we'll be able to remove the now-stinky coat tomorrow.

This afternoon there was a calving that makes up for all the difficult ones. The heifer started at 3, and by 5 there was another little red fellow flopping around like a landed fish, with a bunch of "Aunty" heifers looking on, ready to run the playgroup. We got them out of the way, little Flopsy got himself up and oriented and tonight all's well in the nursery.

We hope...