10 Lessons Learned from Calving

The final countdown is upon us – 40 heifers and the rest of April stand between us and the sweet freedom of a night of restful sleep.

Here are some life lessons I have learned from this first season of calving as a couple.

1) The ones you work the hardest to save are the ones you lose. Truth. Anyone who has worked with livestock will attest to that.

2) Being surrounded by life and baby animals – don’t be surprised if the subject of little ones comes up. If it does – do not be offended if your spouse relates everything back to cattle terminology and crack jokes about first time heifers and mothering up.  

3) Pick your battles. Calving is stressful. The nights are long and the spouses get grumpy. They are not mad at you – just frustrated.

4) The laundry will pile up and your house will smell like a barn. In times like these I find solace in scented candles and scrubbing bubbles  

5) You will get a call from the barn from your spouse in a huff demanding you to come out RIGHT NOW to help him. I learned the hard way not to wear gym shorts in January. Lesson – dress as if you may have to go outside in a pinch no matter the weather. 

6) Coveralls don’t make bad Christmas gifts and it’s hard to beat a solid pair of boots.

7) Alone time can prevent many a fight.

8) Mud and mean cows will always be your enemy.

 9) Working together and praying together will make your relationship stronger.

 10) Don’t forget to make time for each other. Have a special supper, rent a movie, and make breakfast together.

Happy Trails and Happy Calving!

 

 

 

 

Cowboys Love FAT Calves...

This has been fun - writing about calves!  Wade and I have been very lucky - we haven't had too many wild calving moments. Below is one of his stories.  It was his most difficult calving experience to date.  

He was riding his horse and checking the heifers.  There was one - a small frame red heifer that was due to calve any day.  They were paying extra attention to her cause they were expecting trouble.  She was getting close – her bag had dropped and she was springing. 

He found her in a wooded draw.  There she was laying down having a bit of a time.  Wade could see legs and the nose.  He thought he could pull it there in the field but as he tried, there was no headway made.  So he called his dad to give the heads up that he would be driving the heifer up to the corrals.  Slowly he got her up and marched her back to the corrals.  Making sure the nose didn’t slip back in; if it did the calf would have suffocated.   Luckily it didn’t and he was able to make it to the corrals without any trouble.  

What's up? 

At the corrals he threw a rope around her neck and tied her to a steel post.  Wade’s dad was coming home and stopped at the corrals.  That’s when they realized the pulling chains were not in the truck; but they did have some bailing twine.  Using the twine they made a loop and put it around the two front feet and began to pull.  With a little bit of elbow grease they were able to pull the calf.  

                                                        Checking the "newbie" out 

It was huge bull calf, there would have been no way for that little red heifer to birth him alone.   It was lucky Wade had come upon her.  As soon as the boys let the heifer off the rope she went to mothering up and licking the calf clean.  Wade and his dad stayed until the calf sucked and was up and going.   Just another day in the life of a cowboy I guess – making do with the supplies on hand. 

                                                      

Instead of Shooting the Bull, they Pulled the Calf

So to continue with the cows are calving celebration week I have a little bit of a different story to share.

To begin with the circumstances surrounding Wade and I finally getting together hover around livestock, manure, rodeo, music, dancing, and beer gardens.  Apparently when you put those things together you’ve got the setting for romance.  So it should have came as no surprise that on our 5th or 6th date out at least a few of those elements would collide again.   Sadly, it was manure and livestock this time only!

We had decided to go out and eat at a local diner, and end the night at my uncle’s house.  He and his wife had recently had a baby and I was named godmother.  I hadn’t seen the baby in a while and wanted to introduce Wade to that side of the family. ( I had already met his by our first date - but thats a different story)   We got there and were visiting, everything was going smoothly. Both Wade and my uncle like to talk and shoot the bull.   My uncle made a motion to get up – he was off to check cows as they had heifers calving.  He asked Wade to come along  – this was an honor!  I didn’t think much of it, they would be back in a couple of hours. They were gone those hours plus some.                                          

They came back in the house rosy cheeked and laughing; that’s when I learned Wade had spent the last couple of hours with 3 of my uncle’s at my grandpa’s house pulling a calf.   I could just picture my uncle’s and Wade – their first time meeting behind the tail end of a heifer.

I knew it had to be love as I climbed into Wade’s truck he eagerly gave me a play by play of the entire birthing event.  I couldn't help but notice the old sweatshirt he kept in his truck was on the floor board spotted with manure and afterbirth.  Yep, I am pretty sure at the point driving down the gravel roads listening to him talk about the heifer that he was the man for me!

Each one of my uncle’s called me the next day to tell me how good of a guy I had.

Does anyone else out there have a romantic bovine date story?