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.