Monday, yet another eventful day

Monday was another eventful day for me.   First off, I rode my bicycle to Donna's place to check on Stinky, Maggie and Molly.  Bungee corded on my bicycle rack was a bowl of Donna's - she has given me a bowl of taco soup before she left.    As I rode I had two vehicles meet up where I was riding.  The vehicle behind me, a pickup pulling a large dump trailer, had to wait for the other vehicle to pass by.  After the dump trailer vehicle passed by I heard a crash.  Donna's bowl fell off my bicycle rack and shattered.  Darn.

After checking on Donna's pets I continued my ride.  As I was riding on the shoulder of Hwy 2 - where the speed limit is 65 mph - a car slowed down next to me.  To my great surprise it was Ruby driving the car.  I met Ruby back in 2007 when she was hiking in Glacier Park.  Ruby lived out of state.  While she has been back to Glacier a few times over the years I don't remember hiking with her as our schedules didn't work out.   And she recognized me as I was riding my bicycle.  Unbelievable!

It was great seeing Ruby again.  We had stopped before an intersection, and after realizing we knew each other, we quickly moved to the other side of the intersection so cars could use the shoulder to make a right turn to the side road.  A few minutes after catching up a highway patrol car pulled up from behind with its lights flashing.  What?  Why did they stop and are using flashing lights?   We were off the road and on the wide shoulder and that is legal.

The highway patrolman in the passenger seat came out to talk with me and the highway patrol driver walked up to talk with Ruby in the car.  I was asked if I had a problem.  No.  Why do you think that?  Why were we on the shoulder?  I told him this was a woman I hadn't seen in five, six or more years.  He said the car was too close to the road.  No, it's not.  He then said it was when the car was on the other side of the intersection.  I said, right after we realized we knew each other we moved away from there and to this spot.  We weren't there long.  Apparently they were driving on the highway going the other direction and saw us when we were on the other side of the intersection so they turned around and came back.  We're not there now and we had quickly moved.

By now he was getting mad at me and told me not to yell at him.  I wasn't yelling at him.  I was correcting him and explaining the situation.  After my head injury and with the ringing in half my head I talk louder now.  I explained that to him, and told him I wasn't yelling at him; I talk loud normally; especially with the traffic noise; and we weren't doing anything wrong.  He's got to chill out.  He said alright and then walked up to the other patrolman still talking to Ruby.  After a few minutes they left.  I told them as they walked back to their patrol car, that with all the people speeding on the roads they need to do their job and get after them.  They ignored me.

Donna can tell me that I talk too loud, and I need to try to talk quieter.  Someone else can't tell me I am yelling at them when I am not, even if that person is a patrolman. People who know me can talk to me like I'm an idiot. I let it slide. If you don't know me, you can't talk to me like I'm an idiot.  I got ticked at that patrolman.  Good thing I didn't get arrested for being right.

Riding between Donna's house and meeting Ruby, as I rode on a county road that has no shoulder, even though there was no traffic in the other lane, a motorcycle that passed me as I was riding, passed by close.  Guess he wanted to scare me, or not ride briefly near the middle of the road.  The patrolmen should have went after that guy.

I didn't like being on the road's shoulder. I don't trust the traffic in the Flathead.  So I had Ruby drive up to the next large driveway off the road.  Then we were able to talk and catch up on things.  Ruby is now living in Montana.  In East Glacier.  She had Monday off from work and came over to Flathead Valley for an oil change.  It was an amazing coincidence that we met.

Since Patti moved to Wisconsin I don't have someone to hike with.   Maybe Ruby will get me hiking again.

After talking with Ruby for a while I then continued on my bicycle ride.  I had decided to ride a little longer route as the temperature was in the mid 60s and it was nice outside.  I was NE of Whitefish, Montana when my bicycle's rear tire went flat.   You got to be kidding!    I didn't have a patch kit for my tire with me.  Not that it would help as I later learned a nail, or wire, or staple, punctured my tire and tube and the tube couldn't be fixed.  

I ended up riding my bicycle home with the flat tire.  I had to find a different route - shorter route - home.  A month ago, at the place where I had Rascal get his updated rabies vaccine shot, I had met a woman who lives on Conn Road.  She said Conn Road went up a steep hill, and the road was open on the hill now that the snow has melted.  This part of Conn Road is gravel, and I don't remember ever riding this section of the road.  Well, now I did.  And I found out that yes, this is the steepest road in the Valley.   Why the county made this section as a road I don't understand.  It is almost like going straight downhill.  And how vehicles can drive up the road....  um, I don't think I would try.  And it's a gravel road.   Fortunately the wheel tracks are packed and don't have loose gravel on them.  Still I used my bicycle's brakes continuously on the ride downhill to ride slower, and I didn't crash.

14 miles after I got my flat tire I finally made it home.

What a day.  Highs and lows.

Ice

The later part of April and there is still Winter ice around.   In my hayshed I still have to chop ice and pry the wooden pallets out of the ice.   If you are complaining about global warming, send some our way, we really could use it.   I shouldn't complain about the cold and ice, at least I'm not in North Dakota.  Their third Winter blizzard is predicted this weekend.   Three major Winter blizzards in North Dakota is not common.  Three Winter blizzards in April alone is crazy.

Cattle and calf photos

Here are a few photos from last night after Speckle's calf was born.  A short time after Speckles calf was born it began to snow.  The photos are of another calf.

Then more photos from this morning.

Speckles new calf.  Nice and clean today.

The calves like to stick together.

After Speckles calf got her ear tag.  And then had to check out the fresh manure.

Calf 9 - Speckle's

Hurray!   Speckles finally had her calf at 7:15 pm.   Ever since yesterday I have checked on Speckles every few hours - day and night. (Good thing I can fall back to sleep quickly and easily.)

Speckles was still having her calf when I found her.  From a distance I could hear her grunt as she pushed.  And I could see something behind her.  I was worried that I was seeing her uterus coming out.  But the calf was still in its sac - sometimes the sac doesn't initially break open.  I ran over to help Speckles.  As I approached Speckles stood up.  The calf in in the sac was hanging out and down.  About 1/3 of the calf was out. I tore the sac open as the calf wasn't breathing yet.  Was it alive?   I grabbed a hold of the calf to pull it out to help Speckles give birth.   The calf was wet and slippery.  I pulled and pulled and the calf slowly continued to come out.    With over half the calf out of Speckles the rest of the calf then quickly slid out and to the ground.  Also the uterus did not prolapse and come out of Speckles.  Another hurray!  I don't know what happened to the bulge from the vaginal prolapse.

I moved the calf around and moved its head.  I also removed more of the sac.  Speckles turned around to check on and lick the calf.  I could see the calf starting to breath so I backed away and let them be.

The calf is a heifer.

The video shows the calf taking her first steps to try to find her mother and milk.  The calf kept trying to find the udder and drink at the front of the cow.   

37 seconds long.  https://youtu.be/pmL2eAhkRaA

Later I carried the calf to the loafing shed as the wind picked back up and it started to snow.  I wanted the calf to be warm.  The calf kept trying to find the udder at the front of Speckles.  After a bit I re-positioned the calf to the back half of Speckles, and the calf finally found the udder and a nipple and started to drink milk.

While it would have made good photos of the calf being born and only partway out, I was more concerned about the calf and not with taking photos.  After I pulled the calf out I went and got my camera and came right back.  Speckles was still licking and cleaning the calf.

The calf taking its first steps and trying to find the udder to drink milk.

Crazy day! Prolapse. Beaver!

What a day. 

It appears Speckles is suffering from a vaginal prolapse.  I noticed for a week or so now that when she lays down her vagina bulges out.  When she stood the bulge went back inside.  This afternoon I noticed that when she stood the bulge remained.   I talked to other cattle owners then called the vet.  She was busy all afternoon on calls.  I sent a photo to the vet office and they talked with the vet.  She asked me to check if the bulge remained when Speckles stood.

By 4 pm I saw that the bulge remained when Speckles stood.  Because Speckles can have her calf anytime now, the only thing that can be done is to try to push the bulge back inside Speckles.  The vet had after hours visits already lined up so the office suggested I try to push the bulge back in Speckles.

Donna left this morning to go to another town and house sit and horse sit while her daughter is on vacation this week. Larry, who has handled a cattle prolapse in the past, had a VFW / Eagles meeting and event and was unavailable to help me.  I asked Ty for help.  While waiting I let Speckles finish eating some hay then put her in the loading corral and then in the headgate.   Then I washed and washed and washed the bulge.  It was dirty and some of the dirt was sticking hard.  Of course Speckles had to defecate while I was washing the bulge.  About four or five times.   And I had to re-clean the bulge.

About the time I was done with the cleaning Ty showed up.  He has animal experience but never with a prolapse.  He watched Speckles while I struggled to push the bulge back inside Speckles.  I was being careful as I didn't want to injury or break anything.  And, of course, Speckles defecated again.  And again.  And again.  About four different times.  One time the manure shot out and got all over the front of me.  The manure was liquidly.  I now needed to be washed off.

I finally got the bulge back inside a little bit.   But it wouldn't remain inside and came back out when I let go.  Speckles was arching as I tried to push the bulge inside her.   I had to quit.  The bulge wouldn't stay inside.

I tried calling the vet again.  One can call after hours.  But all I got was a busy signal.  The vet office is a few miles from me so I rode my bicycle over in case they were still working there.  Nope.

When I got home I let Speckles out of the headgate and am keeping her in the loading corral.  It is easier to keep track of her, and the loading corral has grass and is cleaner than the rest of the corral which is mostly dirt with lots of manure.

I called the vet office again and got the after hours person.  He then had the vet call me and we discussed the situation.   Nothing we can do for now.  It is mainly wait for the birth to occur.  The concern is that after the birth the uterus may prolapse.   If the uterus is not pushed back inside the cow, the cow can die from infection.  The sooner one can get the uterus back in the better.

At any rate, once a cow has a prolapse it is best not to breed them again.   So Speckles will be replaced.   And I read that the calves that are born should not be kept for breeding either.

https://www.beefmagazine.com/mag/beef_prolapse_problems

So I am checking on Speckles every hour or two.  And will have to do it throughout the night.   During the last check a half hour ago, as I walked back from the corral to the house in the dark I noticed a dark shape moving less than five feet away from me.  I turned on my flashlight thinking it was some stray cat.  No!    I had to look and look as we both walked.  At a good pace.  It was a beaver once I was able to see its large flat tail.  It was a big beaver.  I was very surprised.

The beaver was heading to my front yard, then the road.  On the other side of the road is a creek.  Apparently the beaver was either returning to the creek, or was walking from the river to my west to the creek to the east.  I quickly went in the house to get my camera.  The beaver was walking quickly and when I returned I couldn't find it to take a photo.    The beaver was a very dark brown.  In the darkness it looked almost back.

The first two photos are what I took this afternoon and sent the vet.

Once I put Speckles in the headgate.

More snow

This morning we got a little more snow.  A half inch to an inch of snow.  At least by mid-afternoon it melted.  It's mid-April now.  Time for Winter and snow to be over.   Please!   While it was snowing I had to get up and go outside to give the cattle a few small hay bales.  In the evening I put another large bale out for them.  No new calves.  A few cows look close to having a calf.  Any time now.

Cattle photos

Photos of the cattle I took on Wednesday.

Lightning Picasso checking me out.

Calf 8 - Little Beulah's

Another girl was born Wednesday.   Probably near 1:30 pm.  I had just gotten home from being uptown, and went out and checked for new calves.  Little Beulah had just licked her newborn calf clean and the calf was now standing and trying to find her mother's udder.  Around and around Little Beulah the calf went as the calf was also figuring out how to walk as she was trying to figure out how and where to drink.  The calf knew to raise her head and try to find something to drink from on her mother's body.   Come on little one.. move over there.  Over there!

It took a while but finally the calf found a nipple to suck on.   Success!

Hours later, after I had made an ear tag for the calf, Donna came over to help me as I tagged the calf's ear.

Tonight's low temperature is predicted to be 13 degrees.  It is 18 degrees right now.  Cold for a newborn calf.  I would like for Little Beulah and her calf to lay in the loafing shed.  I checked a few hours ago.  They were laying in the middle of the corral.  The calf was laying right between her mother and one of the replacement heifers.  So I didn't try to move the calf and Little Beulah as there was body heat for the calf.   I checked on them just now and they were still laying right next to one another in the same place.  The calf looked warm as the bodies of both cows were touching the calf on each side.  I let them be.

Calf 7 - 90's

I finally have a girl!   This morning cow 90 had a calf.  A heifer.  Hurray!  At 9 am the calf was still wet after having been licked clean after the birth.  I took the photos after 2 pm when Donna helped me ear tag the calf.  So the calf is probably six to seven hours old in the ear tag photos.   Beautiful calf.

The calf drinking for the first time after being born.

April snow

I woke up Monday morning to find lots (2 to 3 inches) of snow on the ground.  Not what was predicted!  It was pretty, but, April, really?  Snow?   Donna who lives a few miles from me said she barely got snow.  Her sister who lives 8 or so miles in the other direction from me got 6 inches of snow.

The cows are in the corral so they were doing fine.  The wind picked up in the afternoon and is suppose to blow into Tuesday.  But the corral is protected and not too much wind there.

The morning was sunny and I thought perhaps the snow may be all melted by late afternoon.  Nope.  Maybe half of it did.  The clouds that moved in by afternoon slowed the melting down.  So I didn't get anything done outside on Monday.  Too cold and too wet.