Blog 72

Sometimes, as farmers, we have to make some pretty tough decisions. We try to take the information we know and weigh out all the “what ifs.” 

We recently had a cow that was dry and just not looking very good. We had the vet check her, and he diagnosed her with cancer. This was six weeks before her due date. What do we do? We decided to nurse her along as long as we could and hope for the best. We wanted to give the calf as long as we could to develop lungs and overall growth.

Momma took a downward turn at about the three-week mark, so we decided to induce labor and watch her closely. Calving started, but the calf was coming backwards — not what we hoped for, especially for a calf already under stress and under-developed.

We helped momma deliver the calf, and the first few minutes were really scary. The calf wasn’t taking breaths and had a weak heart rate. We worked with the calf, doing all we knew how to, and suddenly, she took a few breaths. A big sigh of relief came across me, but I knew the tiny little calf had a long road ahead. The next couple hours would be crucial.

I dried the calf off to stimulate her, and she kept making baby steps in the right direction. I tucked her all in for the night and said a couple extra prayers. The next morning, that little tyke was wide-eyed and hungry. With the odds against her, she is gaining strength every day, standing on her own and guzzling down her full bottle. With such a rough start to life and about half the size, she has earned the name “little bites” around the farm.

Even if the cards are stacked against you, keep the faith and build your hand stronger.