To add to an already hectic day we noticed Patsy was showing early signs of calving, so we decided to make space and bring her in out of the weather. Typical the barn was full with our weaned ponies and yearling calves, so one more job to add to my never-ending list. With the animals sleeping in the barn rearranged and space found for Patsy, we settled down to eat fish and chips on a straw bale ready for a long night. Several hours of watching Patsy passed, and it soon became more obvious she was having problems. Having a slightly unsure character and a maiden heifer I didn’t want to interfere to soon but it had gone on too long so we decided we needed to help her, at least see if her calf was presented correctly. The calf was alive the forelegs and head were there, but she was never going to pass this large calf through the birth canal without help, so I decided to attached our calving ropes and pull. We both pulled with all our strength after a while and many thoughts of this calf is not coming, we saw a glimmer of hope the head was partly out and suddenly we all fell in a heap on the barn floor two exhausted people and a black calf. All this time Patsy was a star, naturally she was confused, this is not the way nature had intended her to have her first calf. She gave us long enough to rub her calf dry, check the sex, then suddenly the sight of her son made her gained some inner strength to get to her feet and start licking her baby and although she was probably grateful we were soon given are marching orders. “He’s mine get away” so we deciding to take her advice and watch her from a distance. We thought it best to leave her to quietly to adapt to motherhood alone and it was gone 12.00 o’clock. We were both shattered, dirty, covered in cow dung, blood and amniotic fluid, I think perhaps Patsy knew best it’s time for a bath and bed. Keeping our fingers crossed this inexperience pair would worked things out between them by the morning we went to bed. The next morning even after her bad start, Patsy proved to have fantastic mothering abilities, a welcoming sight for our weary bodies and sleepy eyes. We called her new calf Cedric, he is a strong healthy black short legged Dexter calf, he sleeps a lot but doing all the right things and Patsy has calmed down to be an amazing mother. So pleased this story has such a happy ending who knows what might have happened that wet evening if we had left her out in the field. Let’s hope Brambles makes it a little easier for us next time although she is huge and having had twins before it may be a double surprise again.
Patsy knows best
To add to an already hectic day we noticed Patsy was showing early signs of calving, so we decided to make space and bring her in out of the weather. Typical the barn was full with our weaned ponies and yearling calves, so one more job to add to my never-ending list. With the animals sleeping in the barn rearranged and space found for Patsy, we settled down to eat fish and chips on a straw bale ready for a long night. Several hours of watching Patsy passed, and it soon became more obvious she was having problems. Having a slightly unsure character and a maiden heifer I didn’t want to interfere to soon but it had gone on too long so we decided we needed to help her, at least see if her calf was presented correctly. The calf was alive the forelegs and head were there, but she was never going to pass this large calf through the birth canal without help, so I decided to attached our calving ropes and pull. We both pulled with all our strength after a while and many thoughts of this calf is not coming, we saw a glimmer of hope the head was partly out and suddenly we all fell in a heap on the barn floor two exhausted people and a black calf. All this time Patsy was a star, naturally she was confused, this is not the way nature had intended her to have her first calf. She gave us long enough to rub her calf dry, check the sex, then suddenly the sight of her son made her gained some inner strength to get to her feet and start licking her baby and although she was probably grateful we were soon given are marching orders. “He’s mine get away” so we deciding to take her advice and watch her from a distance. We thought it best to leave her to quietly to adapt to motherhood alone and it was gone 12.00 o’clock. We were both shattered, dirty, covered in cow dung, blood and amniotic fluid, I think perhaps Patsy knew best it’s time for a bath and bed. Keeping our fingers crossed this inexperience pair would worked things out between them by the morning we went to bed. The next morning even after her bad start, Patsy proved to have fantastic mothering abilities, a welcoming sight for our weary bodies and sleepy eyes. We called her new calf Cedric, he is a strong healthy black short legged Dexter calf, he sleeps a lot but doing all the right things and Patsy has calmed down to be an amazing mother. So pleased this story has such a happy ending who knows what might have happened that wet evening if we had left her out in the field. Let’s hope Brambles makes it a little easier for us next time although she is huge and having had twins before it may be a double surprise again.