This heifer has looked like she was ready to calve for a week. 10pm check and she is just starting labor. Give her some time. 11pm check and she is not moving very fast. I'll get her in the shed. Try one... nope...try two... nope.... three.... four... bad word muttered. Give us both a break for few minutes.11:20 I see a hoof and it is upsidedown so unless that critter is coming out with a stylish 1/2 twist it is backwards. Now it is more serious... I'll try getting her in the sorting pen. In on the third try. 12:00am I'll give her a few minutes to breath. She won't let me get close, must be all the sautéed onions I had at supper. Get her pinned up between two gates so she is easier to manage. Chain on one foot barely, pull there is foot #2....good chain on both now,quick check, yup backwards not forward and upside down with the head twisted back.. Steady pull back and down... I am gonna have to reach through these gate bars to pull down. Whoa she is walking forward, finger smashed, hand caught... ouch! That was stupid of me, finger nails grow back though. But the chain got hooked on the gate and as she moved forward she really made some progress. Momma is going down on ground, she is ready to finish this job I hope. Some more pulls and pushes and plop out it comes. Alive.... now moving... 12:40am. Go grab a bale of old hay toss it in. Give mamma a couple prods to get up and she does. She gives the wet but drying little heifer a nose and lick but takes to eating some hay. I say a prayer mamma claims her and head to house to clean up and go to bed (or blog first). I won't give a commentary on every calf we pull but it is nice when it works out. The pics are bad and a bit graphic but I only had a flashlight and it was 1 am. That fence still needs painting.
