Calving

 

 

Calving this year has really been challenging!

 

 

 

Several spring snow storms have made things pretty difficult here and it's really starting to catch up with this Frazzled Farm Wife! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cows do have some shelter but checking for new calves has been an around-the-clock job. 

I have been taking the 3am night shift and anybody that know me, knows that I like my sleep!

 Oh what a frazzled farm wife will do for the good of the livestock!

 

 

 

Bedding them down has been a never-ending job and
 getting the Gator stuck in the snow/mud is getting us frustrated too!

 

 

Our dog Madyson is my calving buddy and a huge help to us!

  She helps distract the cow so we can grab the new calf and also helps chase the cows where we need them (most of the time anyway, she does chase them to the wrong spot sometimes).

Every new calf is hauled to the pasture once it is born. 

Usually the mom follows the calf on the calf carrier behind the 4 wheeler. 

Once in awhile we get a stubborn cow and have to chase it to the pasture.

 

 

 

 

If we have a cold or wet calf or during snow storms, we haul it to the barn to get warmed up and dried off before it goes out to the pasture.

  

 

We have been in rain, snow, sleet, mud and frost this year. 

It has been a CRAZY year for calving!

 

 

Yesterday the cold, damp weather was starting to catch up to the calves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ran around treating calves that looked sick and hauled those that were a little worse off up behind the barn a tubed some electrolytes into them. 

 

 

 

 

 

We have been treating all along but yesterday and today were by far the worst days we have had for having sick calves.

 

 

 

Here are the 5 sickest calves we have all treated and snuggled up for tonight in the barn.

 

 

Let's hope tomorrow brings us some sunshine and warm temperatures!