Most will live

Calving season is just starting or is peeking its head around the corner. I’m Jeff Keane; I’ll be right back with some calving season thoughts. Ready or not calving time has started at our place. Since some dummy turned the bull in with the replacement heifers about nine months ago, I was awarded the short straw to check the first-time calvers during the night. Actually with decent weather, powerful spotlights, quiet cattle, and using my best saddle horse when bringing a heifer to the barn for calving assistance the job is pleasant. I said, on nice moonlit nights, but on those nasty weather nights, riding a horse I should never have saddled for the task at hand- trying to convince a surly heifer to head for the barn, I wonder about my mental processes. The first six calves sired by our new bull were easy, natural births, but the next one was a different story. When my brother and I examined the heifer we found the calf was coming backwards and upside down. Our veterinarian is not too far away, so we opted for professional help, rather than get the cow in trouble if we couldn’t finish the job. The calf was delivered without any terrible trouble, but was not breathing. We revived the calf and it was breathing with the young cow taking care of it as we left. When I checked the newborn about three hours later, it had died. Those are the most discouraging nights and make you wonder what went wrong. Sometimes the only answer is it was not meant to be. But you work just as hard on the next one and that one survives. That’s the rewardâ€"most will live. I’m Jeff Keane.