That’s right, I’m posting about calves again, even though hardly anyone has read the other post on calves (cattle drama is nowhere near as interesting as my personal drama I guess). And, to be honest, this is not drama if you live on a cattle ranch, but it’s fun if you’ve never been around them. So I’ll share my action shots.
The dogs went crazy, and I looked outside to see a mama cow and a very new baby trotting around. I then heard the unmistakable sound of a utility vehicle. A quick glance at the little tan calf told me what was up: it hadn’t been tagged yet.
One reason that the cows get checked on so often during calving season is that each newborn needs to be checked out quickly, to make sure everything is okay. The cattle owners also check to be sure there’s no cow in distress or anything like that, too.
Today’s little one is quite perky. They ran down into the pond, and Tyler V. went after them, but they took off running. Tyler’s dad came around them and turned them, as our precious dogs barked their lungs out (they were fenced in).
They ran and ran, then the calf made for the pond again, where the guys managed to get a hold of it. It’s amazing how quickly they can tag the calf, assess its health, and I think give it a shot, too.
After bawling at the indignity it was suffering, the calf went free and ran to Mom. She then took off through high grass (which meant I could not get a photo of the new tag), then they ran up the dam where all the cattle feel safe, for some reason.
I was asked why I was just standing there taking pictures and not helping. I said flip flops and water moccasins don’t mix. Then I reminded them I want that spotted calf. I’ll keep working on them.
The Hermits' Rest 