Calf 14 - Speckle's calf's calf

Sunday when I went out to check on the cattle and move the cows and calves from the middle pasture back to the south pasture, I found a calf in the south pasture had no ear tag.   What?!   Another replacement heifer had a calf.  Haynes, the bull is something else.

The mother is Speckle's calf from last year.  I call her S2: S for Speckles and 2 for the second calf born that year.   Again I didn't expect a replacement heifer to already have a calf.   Of the four replacement heifers, two have had calves already.  One, heifer 60, who had what looked to be afterbirth hanging out of her, must have had afterbirth due to having a calf.   I never saw or found a calf so maybe she had a stillborn calf and the scavengers ate the body before I could find it.   The fourth replacement heifer I don't think will have a calf.  I believe I saw the bull try to breed her a month ago.  But... we'll see.

I don't know when this calf was born.  It was after July 12 when I let the cattle into the south pasture.  I'm sure it wasn't on Sunday.  That calf can move around quick.  And looks to be a decent size.  But again, this is Haynes calf.  His previous calf moved quicker than I expected.

Since the calf can move quick I couldn't catch it to check if it is male or female.  I didn't see any testicles, but I couldn't get close enough to make sure.

So I needed to get the calf and his mother into the corral where I would have a chance to catch it.  The cattle wanted to go into the middle pasture as that is something new for them.  I also left open the gates to the north pasture, and to the corral.  Maybe they would go there. 

The cattle walked to the north pasture gate but most decided not to go through the gate but stay in the middle pasture.  S2 and her calf were near the gate and I was able to herd them through to the north pasture.  I shut the gate and then herded her and her calf to the corral.  Sugar also came along and I had to then herd Sugar out of the corral and back to the middle pasture.

It was now noon.  I was able to catch the calf and check its sex.  It's a boy.  Donna took a break from raking her hay and came over at 2:30 pm to help me with the calf.  I got S2 and the calf into the small part of the loading corral.  Around and around the calf and I went.  I thought I would have to get Ty to help me catch the calf but then the calf stopped for a moment and I was able to catch it.  Then the work began as the calf tried to get away from me.  For a bit I was half crawling and half being drug by the calf.  I laid on the calf and it tried to carry me but I was too heavy for it.  I ended up with my chest against the calf's head and holding his front legs.   I needed to be turned around so I could hold the calf's rear legs.  But I couldn't turn around without the calf getting away.   So Donna decided to see if she could somehow put a band on the calf's testicles.    I don't know how she did it, but she got the testicles banded.

Since I was facing the right direction I could then put the ear tag on the calf.

Done.

Another one of Haynes calves.   They have lots of energy from the get-go and are a handle to hold.  After Donna moves away I don't know how I am going to handle and band Hayne's calves next year.

Wait a minute... no ear tag.... is this a new calf?

You'd think when the calf is drinking from its mother I could get close to see its sex or catch it.  But no, not with this calf.

Newly tagged.   What a beauty.