Farm Fresh Blog

After I sold goats yesterday I went to feed the cows.  This is what greeted me.

That is NOT bubble gum hanging out of the back of that cow.  Her name is Snickers.  She used to be a show cow. The little girl who showed her asked about her at the fair this year.  I REALLY don't wanna have to tell that child next year that her cow died giving birth.  The Rancher Neighbor had already called Other Half to inform him that the cow was in labor.  The neighbor on the other side of the property had already called Other Half to inform him that the cow was in labor and the calf was probably dead.  Oh joy. 

So I met with Kindly Rancher Neighbor who is my Rock when Other Half is out of town. He came over the fence.  His Blue Heeler, Deuce, crawled through the fence.  Snickers tried to run Deuce down.  Deuce ran to hide behind Rancher.  I had to laugh as Man Who Always Has Everything Together informed his dog, "Don't hide behind ME!!!" as a large, enraged black cow chased the dog. Deuce was evicted, but Snickers was not in the mood to be caught, so there wasn't much we could do. We had to wait until she got tired enough to let us catch her and pull the calf. Kindly Rancher Neighbor went home.

  We agreed to watch her and try it again in an hour.

I kept checking, but then I got on the phone with Vet's Wife to discuss The Enforcer, kidney failure, and selling goats. Thirty minutes later I looked out the window to find Kindly Rancher Neighbor propped against the fence, looking at this.

According to him I missed it by 5 minutes.  He had to pull the sack off her nose so she could breathe, but otherwise, his help was not needed.  Snickers had her first baby on her own, just fine thank you very much. No humans NEEDED! (I like cows like that!)

Snickers is a good mother.  This morning when I went to feed, the Wal-Mart Shoppers Mob knocked her calf over in the mud.  (I was almost hysterical as I watched this precious mocha baby get trampled!) Snickers, who is a sizable girl herself (she is a plus-size, full-figured broad!) saw red and rushed to rescue her baby.  Then she led little Miss Mocha away from the herd.  I finished filling the feeders.  While the Mob settled down to eat, Snickers checked her baby.  I sat on the 4Wheeler and cried. (I am a big help!)

The baby seemed to be okay. (good, because I have NO idea how I would be able to help her if her momma didn't cooperate.)  All I could do was drive off and get another bale of hay for Snickers.  The baby settled down beside her as Snickers munched.  She regularly reached over to sniff little Miss Mocha to make sure she was still okay.  

Snickers still has not passed the afterbirth.  It was hanging down to her ankles.  I was a bit worried so I stopped by Neighbor's ranch to beg for help.  (a woman left in charge of two farms full of cows, goats, sheep, horses, and a dog dying of renal failure is just one drama away from completely losing her mind . . .) I desperately needed to know that I wasn't wallowing in the mud alone and the cows would be just fine.

Kindly Rancher Neighbor wasn't at home, but luckily his dad was there fixing a tractor.  His DAD!  This dude knows LOTS about cows!  So we talked.  He assured me that Snickers and Mocha would be just fine. He would check on them.  Kindly Rancher Neighbor would also check on them for me. Thank God! I'm not alone! Help is just one farm away. 

And that, ultimately, is what country living is all about.  No man is an island unto himself.  We all need good neighbors and we need to be good neighbors.