Calves Incoming!

It's my favorite, yet most stressful, time of year.  Calving season!  That's right folks!  In the next month or two (hopefully not three like last year, thanks Clark) I should have around 27 new babies running around the farm and raising heck with their mothers.  It's always fun to see a new lump of fur on the ground with an attentive mother licking it and humming (via a gentle moo) to her spawn.  

 I think the most fun I had last year was either Nugget, who had an antsy mother who wouldn't stand still to be nursed, or the twins (Tim and Tom) who had a mother who couldn't keep track of more than one newborn calf! 

I ended up having to put Nugget's mother in a head gate several times to allow Nugget to latch successfully and I had to confine the twins with their mother in the corral for a couple weeks while trying to force feed Tom to make sure they both were getting enough milk and she didn't keep losing one or the other.    

And then finally I had Little John who lost his grandmoo cow late last summer.  That was pretty heartbreaking, but it was pretty neat how quickly he transitioned to being a bucket calf (first try!) and ended up doing really well, though not as big as his brothers or sisters.  Ah memories.  Lots of work, but lots of fun too.    

I turned the bulls in on June 17th last year.  Calves could be coming any day now!  Be sure to check back here or on my Instagram or Facebook for photos!