Calf 1 - 80's

Today I found a calf has been born.  The calf was clean and active so it most likely was born overnight.  The calf is a bull calf.   The mother is cow #80, the cow that was born with no tail.  The baby calf has a tail.  So, the "no tail" is not a generic condition.

This was the first calf born this year, a week after the first chance a calf could be born based on when I let the bull to start breeding the cows.

Donna said that since the calf was a male, and was born on St. Patrick's Day, the calf's name is: Patrick.  Sounds good to me.

Donna says Patrick has his father's (Toby's) face.

Since the calf was a male I need help banding this calf to make him a steer.  I can't hold the calf and band him at the same time.   Donna is suffering from nerve pain and can't move easily.  Donna suggested instead of kneeling on the ground and hold the calf down, that I should lift the calf and put him in the bed of my pickup.  Donna then can stand and do the banding.   I also asked my neighbor Curtis for help in case Donna wouldn't be able to help. 

I put one of my livestock trailer rubber mats in the pickup bed.  I caught the calf even though it was trying to walk away from me.  I put the calf in the pickup bed.  Curtis held the calf's back legs, and I held the calf's front legs and head.  Donna was able to band the calf.  It took a few tries as the calf's testicles kept wanting to go up back in the body as Donna was working to get the band around them.

One down, 12 to go.

When I first found the calf.

The mother watching over her new calf.

After the calf was banded and ear tagged.   You can also see the mother with no tail.

The calf that was born last August was fascinated by the new calf.  Later I still saw this older calf near the new calf.  I guess the older calf likes someone closer to her size.  The cows tend not to care much for the older calf.

"Why are you taking a picture?"