I was on my way home from book club and called Farmer to see if they were still in the fields and if they needed anything.
"Nope, but Son #2, #4 and kids are at the barn waiting for the vet. Can't get a calf out."
So naturally, I had to try too. I followed the two legs up and could feel it's belly and then on the other side where the head should be it felt like there was no head. I told them I thought the head was twisted up or back on that side. Either way, it wasn't coming out.
There were four wigglies there playing hide and seek at 11:00 PM. How fun is that?
This little dude was pretty sweaty and dirty.
Finally, the vet arrived. We got the cow up and he told us the calf was dead. We sort of suspected that. The cow didn't stay standing long. She was exhausted.
We use chains around the calf's hooves to pull them. It gives us a more controlled pull.
There is a rachet handle attached to this calf puller and it helps pull the calf out.
The vet determined that the calf's head was tipped straight back. Because this was a heifer (first time having a calf) she wouldn't be able to deliver. She was too weak to do a C-section.
The vet said "This is where ulgy gets even uglier. Keep the kids out."
He had to get the calf out so he wrapped a wire up inside around the calf's neck and cut the head out. Once the head was removed the rest of the calf came out easily.
I asked him how mama was. He said she had a good pulse but was extremely weak and probably had a little shock going on.
He gave her 3 bottles through her IV. The bottles contained electrolytes, anti inflammatory, and pain medicine.
After the three bottles ran through her he also gave her an epidural. She was still trying to push and cows can and do push their uterus out. He said he didn't want to come back at 2:00 AM to put it back in.
Wiggliette comforting mama.
One of the wigglies.
We gave her some time to recover and then pushed her up on her sternum.
The vet said if she made it through the night she had a good chance of recovering. I told him we prayed over her and she would make it.
We left her with her tub of water with YMPC which is : yeast, calcium, niacin, and the most potent levels of magnesium and potassium and it contains four types of calcium (calcium lactate, tricalcium phosphate, calcium propionate, calcium carbonate. It helps to give cows the essential nutrients they need to help aid in recovery and get used to the demands of lactation.
Last night we had to juggle taking care of one of God's creatures with making good business decisions. We held off giving antibiotics for two reasons. If she died it would have been wasted money. If she would have still been alive in the morning, yet doubtful that she would recover we would have taken her to the slaughter house. You can't sell animals with antibiotics. The vet said waiting for this AM would not have any effect on her recovery.
Last night when we were going through this I was kneeling by her head trying to comfort her. I had to move because she was whipping her head back and forth and she could have taken me out.
It's so hard to see these lovely ladies suffer. Yet, you have to keep your business hat on and make profitable decisions.
I'm grateful mama made it this time.
