Calf 9 - Brownie's

This morning I had another calf born.  The past few days I have been watching three cows that look close to giving birth.  Nope.  The mother was Beulah's calf from two years ago.  I decided now to call her Brownie instead of Beulah's calf.  This is a first time mother.  I forgot about this year having a leap year extra day so the calf to a newborn mother was born a day before I expected it could be born.

I saw the calf when I went out in the morning to put out hay for the cattle.  The cattle had finished eating the previous hay bale late last night and now needed more hay.  Brownie and her calf were in the middle of the pasture under a tree.  Brownie was eating her afterbirth.  The calf seemed fine but was laying stretched out somewhat instead of being circled up. The calf is a little bull calf.  Donna came over to help me band and ear tag the calf.  The calf is a big calf but his scrotum was smaller than usual and Donna had a hard time getting both balls to band them.  And the calf was stronger than the other calves born this year.  I struggled at keeping the calf on the ground and stopping the calf from moving and kicking his hind legs as I held them apart.  Eventually we got the calf banded and ear tagged.

I had brought out a plastic sled to bring the calf back to the corral by the barn.  But the calf was stronger than I expected.  He walked with no problems.   Because the cattle were eating hay from the feeders in the corral I decided to move Brownie and her calf into the hayfield and then into the corral by the southern gate.  I expected I would have to herd Brownie and her calf away from the main corral gate but she saw the hayfield gate was partly open and walked right over and into the hayfield.  They stood in the hayfield looking at the corral.  I went and opened the corral gate and then watched that the steers and Speckles did not leave the corral.  Donna easily herded Brownie to the corral gate and they walked into the corral with no problems.

In the corral the steers and Speckles all wanted to check the new calf out.  Brownie briefly fought a few steers as she didn't want them getting so close to her calf.

Then everybody bonded and Brownie was able to eat some hay.  At the end of the day Brownie's calf was laying with one of Speckle's calves under the roofed shelter by the barn while Speckle's other calf was drinking from Speckles.  Brownie's calf seems to be doing fine and getting along well.   Another cold night and strong winds just started and will continue on into the morning tomorrow.  So I hope all those calves stay and sleep in the sheltered area tonight.