There was a time, when we used to start calving in January. The dead of winter is not a very friendly time of year to start having calves. It's dark for more hours of the day that it's light out, and more often than not, the temperatutres can dip to -25 degrees Celsius. It's not the most pleasant of environments for a wet baby calf to make his introduction into the world. You have to be there as they are born to hustle them into the barn, or try get the cows into there before they have their calf. If you don't, they can freeze their ears or tail off, or die if they get too cold.
April, is much more pleasant. April, feels right. Spring time, is a time for new beginnings, and perfect to start having calves. The sun is out. The temperatures are above freezing most of the time, and cows can take their time to calf without having me check up on them every half hour.
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| does this agnle make my ass look fat? |
I have mixed feelings about calving. It marks the end of my winter. Time to get going. Calving leads right into seeding, then to haying, onto harvest, and so on. My free time pretty much disappears. But, it's good to get moving, because calving season leads right into my my favorite season.......tractors.
One time, when i was assisting a cow to give birth, she gave a mighty heave, and covered the front of my coveralls and filled my pocket with "inside of cow goo". (that's a technicial farmer term.) I had my cell phone in that pocket and it was ruined. Try explaining that to the phone guy. There's no warrenty for "inside of cow goo".
............really, it's hard not to like new baby calves when they're born without problems and get going on their own. I'm not looking forward to being up to my armpit in the back side of a cow, and having her crap down the front of my coveralls. At least it's warm for a minute or two.
Ha! Now THOSE are some visual images! I "helped" (and by that I really mean "watched") at several horse births. It really is amazing! (and messy and wet and kind of smelly)
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly all of those things. Par for the horse....i mean course. :)
DeleteThere is nothing more beautiful than new life in any form, but yup, the process of it's arrival can be a little gross. Still worth it though, and it's not a bad way at all to signal the start up of your year. In your life you get a break and things change with the seasons, I envy you that. In the office world the tedium just goes on and on forever!
ReplyDeleteMy wife has to deal with that as well. I try to help out around the house when it's slower for me. But occasionaly i help to create the mess as well.
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