Calf 2 - 120's

The second calf was born this morning to cow #120, not the cow I expected next to give birth  All the cows came in for their morning hay feeding except the new mother.  I fed the cows; closed the corral gate, then took some hay out to the new mother.

A few hours later Donna stopped by to look at the new calf and help me tag its ear.  The calf is a heifer so no banding was necessary.

The calf is a dead ringer for her dad, Buddy.  I think I will call her: Budette.

Before I tagged the calf's ear I carried her into the NE pasture.  I want her and her mother to be company for cow #20 and her calf so they won't be alone.  Maybe cow #20 won't spend all her time at the north pasture gate.   After carrying the new calf I then had to herd the new mother into the NE pasture as she is one of the "dumb as a brick" cows.

Cow #20 - whose legs have been all fine lately - is now limping again.  Her front right leg seems to have a problem.  There is nothing nor no one in the NE pasture to cause her to hurt her leg, but there you go, it's sore again.

Her calf slept all afternoon near the stock trailer, on wet ground next to a snow bank.  With all the dry ground, the calf picks this spot to sleep!  The mother spent most of the day near the north pasture gate.

The new mother and cow spent all day near the north pasture gate.  The calf mainly slept.  After I fed the cows and bull after 5 pm, cow #120 had interest in joining them.  I had never seen her at the feeder at the east side of the NE pasture.    "Patrick" woke up, and his mother walked over to the middle of the pasture so Patrick could drink.   I tried to herd cow #120 to the hay feeder.    She would go this way and that but I finally got her down the shoveled path towards the feeder.   We were almost there when the cow decided go off path and through the snowbank.  I gave up herding her.  I thought of carrying her calf to be near the feeder but the calf was still sleeping and I didn't feel like carrying her.  The cow will eventually find the feeder.

Over an hour later I couldn't take it anymore.  The cows and bull had finished eating and now some lingered in the corral and some lingered in the north pasture near the gate.  The new calf was standing so I picked her up and carried her over to be near the feeder.  The mother did not follow me.    She remained near the gate along with cow #20 and her calf.  So I herded cow #120.  This way and that until she saw her calf and then went the rest of the way to her calf.  After checking her calf she drank and drank water before finally going to the feeder to eat.

In the morning I imagine all the cows and calves will be back near the gate.  These two cows are not independent and want to be with the herd.

Last week Donna noticed that cow #120's jaw was swollen a little bit on her left side.  Not sure why.  It could be an abscess, an infection or a tumor, or something else.  Since the swelling does not seem to be hurting the cow, the cattle vet recommended waiting until the cow gave birth since she was very pregnant and any medicines would not be good for the cow and unborn calf.

I have the two following photos though they don't really show the swelling.  It is hard to get a photo head-on of the cow.

The following photo is  a fluke.  No, the cow is not charging me.  I accidently pressed the camera's shutter button as I was moving my arm and the camera.  I think the photo looks neat.