Banding, day 2

The bands on the steer's horns are still on.  The steer acts  normal.  No shaking of his head or other acts indicating irritation.   Donna stopped by this afternoon to ask how the steer was doing.  When we looked at the calves in the corral they all crowded into the far corner. They remembered yesterday and Donna.  At one point another calf started to nuzzle and lick the bands on the steer's horns.

Stop that!

The calf quit.

Here you can see the pink below the band.  I think the band is working and stopping the blood flow.  The bands also appear to have 'sunken in' slightly.

Also when Donna was here she noticed a cow acting like she may calve soon.  The cow's tail was up a lot and the cow's head was down sniffing and checking the ground while walking around without eating.  Then she laid down, then she got up. She was restless.

We walked out to look at which cow it was and it wasn't either Mama or number 7, the two cows that had looked farthest along. It was number 60.  Her bag had filled out quite a bit since yesterday.   We attempted to herd the cow into the corral but she didn't want to go and leave the herd and was getting agitated so we quit.  While it is easier for me to check on her in the corral, the pasture is cleaner than the corral and a better place to give birth.

I've checked on the cow every hour or two until it got dark.  No baby calf.  The cow appears to have settled down and is not as restless.  I'll see what the morning brings.