Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Placenta, sunflower seeds and stock handling

Friday began like many of my days lately me covered in placenta and eating sunflower seeds. I usually starts with me minding my own business walking dogs and Kyle phoning me on my cell because there is some sort of calving crisis and his dad is now where to be found. So in that case I am moved up from not a chance in hell to second in command. Fridays drama began with a cow calving beside and older calf and then thinking the older calf was hers and preceded to abandoned her calf. So I tootle out to the field on the ranger dragging the calf sled. Rescue the calf from certain death and take it to one of our maternity pens. I do a very fancy Joe Lucas like calf tie so that the little gaffer doesn't escape from the sled. Before I continue I must tell you that last year my husband had no experience with calving or moving stock. He was born and raised in town and before he met me he never dreamed of running 150 head of cattle on a farm.
Calf secure in the pen. I reach in my pocket and grab a handful of spits (sunflower seeds) and jam them in my mouth. Funny how short term memory works. I had completely forgotten the at not 20 minutes earlier my hands were covered in nice juicy placenta. Oh well to late now. Maybe I could use the extra protein for energy. By the time I get back to the pasture to help Kyle wrangler up the momma cow he had resorted to chasing her with his truck and honking. His stockmanship could use some work. Not only are we trying to get one cow we also have to get the adopted calf and its really mother. I promptly tell Kyle to get out of his truck and lets just go on foot both moms are fairly easy going and don't really want to kill us yet.
So I proceed to work my husband like a border collie. But I don't really want him to catch on to this so instead of the regular commands I use left, right, forward and stop. Thankfully he never knew what hit him and we proceed to quietly move two cows and a calf into the alley. Sorted out the real mom and put her in the pen with her baby. Some more drama ensued when she noticed that her baby was leaving with another mom. We had her in the head squeeze and she tossed those panels like the were made of match sticks. How exciting for us. I was really just running for my life. Finally she calmed down and we got her baby to suck. A couple hours later she decided this really was her baby and we were never taking it away again. She is not so easy going anymore.

2 comments:

Sarah said...

I sure hope you had a few beers after a day like that, oh and hopefully you washed your hands at some point too HAHA!!!

An English Shepherd said...

Wash I am not forward to one of those ;-)

Wizz :-)