Birth of Brooks the Dun
The annual vet visit for the farm was on February 1st. It is always a very long day for our amazing vet, Dr. Dana Westerman, and this farm girl. This visit included 13 annual health checks with vaccinations, 6 dental floats, 3 sheeth cleanings (you will have to look that one up), 4 joint supplement IV injections, deworming of 3 cows, one allergy shot, and wart removal surgery for one goose foot. Dr. Dana and I had not done a pregnancy check on Blossom since the prior Spring, so as we were walking out to the cow pastures, she asked if we would re-check her. No sooner did we hit the gate than I noticed teats had appeared. No pregnancy check required – Blossom was VERY, VERY pregnant. Exactly 2 weeks later, she gave us a perfect bull calf. She even waited until I got home from work to go into labor.
Witnessing my very first calf birth was the most fantastic experience I could have asked for. As luck would have it, my farm hands got home early from their "real" job and were with me for the whole process in case any help was needed. Blossom delivered her first calf like a champ. It took him about 45 min to stand up. He tried many times only to fall down and try again. Watching him figure out how to get those wobbly little legs under him was adorable. A little human intervention was required for her to allow him to nurse. She didn't want him out of sight, so as he tried to nurse, she would spin around to see him, and that dance went on for a while. We decided it was time to put a halter on her so she could be kept still to allow Brooks to get the much-needed early colostrum. Once she figured out the nursing thing, she was a model mother. New life on the farm is one of the most rewarding things that comes from all the hard work and expense of raising animals.
Looking forward to having this experience again soon with Maple's impending calf.
The moment our little bull calf entered the world
Blossom talking to her new baby