Calf Extraction

This is what we call "pulling a calf".
When we are out observing the heifers, which is 24/7, if you see an issue. Like she is not progressing in a timely manner, maybe a leg is back, meaning they are not coming out even, backwards, calf too big or something else. We bring her into the barn in the pulling pen. Tie her up and get all the necessary tools ready and straw a pen for her and baby.

The heifer in the pulling pen. The gate on the right is the one that slammed me into the wall and broke my wrist. Got some expensive hardware in the wrist now!

You can see this calf had a leg back. The shoulders aren't evenly compressed inside mama so she can't push him out. With a cow, they know how to manipulate the calf to get them lined up. Cameron puts the calf chains and hooks on his legs above the dew claws.

Gives a pull on one leg, then the other. Now they are even.

Mama decided she wanted to lay down. We prefer she were standing. If laying down, its best if she's on her side.

Here comes the head. The white is his face. And yep his tongue is sticking out.

And the rest of baby. Cameron is working with mama. Not just pulling and yanking. When she contracts, he pulls, gently. Then rests, then contracts, pull.

Swish! Welcome to the world little one. Mama and baby are doing great. She had a bull calf that weighed 86 pounds. I had posted a C-section, but I can't find it!

Thanks for stopping by. 

R.I.P Razor

The old guys dog passed away the other day. Sad. She was an awesome cattle dog, friend, travel companion and teacher to the younger dogs.



R.I.P my friend. 10/2000 - 2/2014

I Lost a Friend

I lost a special friend today
the kind you can't replace,
and looking at her empty bed
I still can see her beautiful face.
I know she's in a special place
our Lord has for such friends,
Where meadows, fields & flowers
help make them strong and whole again.
I know she's watching over me
She'll be with me when I cry,
So with one more kiss on her beloved head
I told my friend goodbye.
-Author Unknown

A Working Dog

I’ve seen the Rocky Mountains
and the Gulf of Mexico,
the California Surfers
and palm trees in a row.

I’ve read the works of Shakespeare
and seen Picasso’s paint,
the sounds of concert pianists,
And heard the bagpipes quaint.

And all of these have thrilled me
but not one could compare
with watching herding dogs a-working,
a single or a pair.

There’s magic in each movement
that Mozart never had.
And beauty in each turn
that makes my heart feel glad.

There’s science in each answer
Of every whistled tone
that Newton never thought of
nor ever was he shown.

There’s feeling in the handling
that only poets know
or cowgirls that work with stockdogs
and feel the teamwork grow.

Wherever life may take you
in sunshine or in fog,
you’ll never quite forget it
when once you’ve worked a dog

                     ~Author Unknown

I hope to have pictures of my shattered wrist. I broke it Thursday night, had surgery  Friday morning. They put pins and a plate in there. It sucks but I'm hanging in there. I feel so useless!!

Thanks for stopping by.

part 2 with #239

We saw #239 calve the other day. http://www.ritzvilleranchlife.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-calf-is-born.html. Today we walked her and her calf out of the calving lots across the bridge to join up with the other heifers and their babies.
First we make sure mama is taking excellent care of her baby. Second is baby up and following mama? If all is well we walk them out. If they stay in the lots, sometimes the other heifers will try to steal the baby. The lots can get pretty messy, wet and muddy. Not a good environment for the new baby to be laying in. They can get sick.
Putting them out into the great wide open makes for better mama's and baby has fresh places to lay down.
There are now 15 pairs across the bridge. Everyone is doing well. Babies are eating hay right next to mama. Ya cant get any better then that!
After we did all our morning chores, we headed out to BB Cattle Company http://www.bbcattle.com/ where we buy all our bulls from. To watch them ultra sound the bulls. They measure the rib eye, intramuscular fat and the rib eye fat. Very interesting. And helped them wash bulls. What a blast!

Today's sunrise.

Walking mama and baby out. Curious heifers watching.

Looking good. Such a rewarding time to see mama and baby bonded.

Thanks for stopping by.

A calf is born

The first few pictures were taken through the windshield.
We had 2 new babies in the heifers by noon today. The first one we had to assist mama with the birth. She and baby are doing great in the barn.

This is how we like our heifers to calve.

She will usually be walking around kinda humped up with her tail out and back legs spread. A very unnatural walk! I should say uncomfortable look! lol! Then you will see a bubble. Like a water balloon sticking out. She will also lay down, get up and be looking for a place to have her calf.
When the baby is all lined up, she will lay down, usually flat out and start straining.

The front feet will start to come out. Followed by the head. That's what we see here. The calf has the amniotic sac over its body. If it stays on its face, it will suffocate, and you do have to pull its off its face every so slow and carefully as not to spook mama.

Once the head comes out its just a couple more pushes and the calf is out. Here's that progress.

I am now outta the pickup. Just in case the sac doesn't come off the face.

The calf is now out. Mama gets a good look at her new baby. And the sac came off its face. YEA!

She stands up, turns around to look at this little wet thing that's shaking its head and sneezing mucus out of its nose. Starts licking it to get it clean and up.

We get her tag number. Hers is 239. Get a tag for baby. In this case its tag will be 39. Tag the calf, check to see if its a bull calf or heifer.

Its a heifer! Mama is taking good care of baby. Baby is doing good. Time to go home and take a nap!

Thanks for stopping by.

Feeding Cows

We now have 9 calves in the heifers, and 3 calves in the cows! YEA! So, the 24/7 begins.
Last night when we went to check heifers there was freezing rain. Freezing rain/snow at midnight. Woke up this morning to feed and had snow. Crunchy, crispy snow. It wasn't cold at all. Right at freezing.

Freezing rain.

 

Loading hay.

 
Replacement heifers.

1st calf heifers.

We keep our best saddle horses close to the barn in case we need them to get a cow in. Day or night.

I also feed the quail and pheasants around the barns.

Thanks for stopping by.