Ranchers don’t have the privilege of sick days, holidays, or snow days, the livestock need them. During calving season, days and nights seem to run together. While most Americans are crawling into bed, men and women are waking up and going into the darkness. The cattle don’t sleep, so neither do they. Finding those who are up to the task of all night shifts tending to new life, has become increasingly hard for ranchers. Many don’t see the appeal of little sleep, solitude, and hardwork that is required for a night calving job. But for those who do see how important their role is, it’s a special time of year. As the headlights reach the calving field gate, the night shift begins. The spotlight jumps from cow to cow, searching for new calves. It shines on several new healthy calves, learning how to stand on their fresh legs. Then, we spot a cow with a calf on the ground and one on the way. Before we can get her to the barn, her second calf makes his entrance into the world. Soaking wet, Joe grabs him and places him with his twin in the sled. With the party of three warm and their bellies full, they are left to themselves for the night. Next on the list is grafting a twin to a cow that had just lost her calf. Cows rely on smell to determine their calves from one another. Each ranch will graft calves differently. A great way to do this is to work with their natural instincts. By carefully taking the hide from the calf the cow has lost and placing it on a calf that needs a new mother, it will smell like hers. Sometimes this is all it takes, but in this case the cow still wasn’t fully convinced about the calf in her pen. We brought her into the barn and put her in the head catch to let the little guy get some groceries. Once he was full, cow and calf were put back into the pen for the night to get to know each other. We checked on them periodically to make sure the cow was accepting her new calf, and the two successfully paired up with a little help. Each night brings new challenges, whether it be simply staying awake or pulling a backwards calf. I may lose a little sleep staying up late to tag along, but the time spent with my best friend and a lot of cute calves is never wasted. The happiness in his smile, as he helps a weak calf nurse for the first time, makes me love his kind heart even more. To the night warriors, bovine midwives, night calvers, whatever you prefer to be called, thank you. Thank you for the sleepless nights ensuring that we do the best we can to provide a good start for each calf that hits the ground. And when calving season is over, and the nights turn to days, you can smile knowing the difference you made. The calves running in the pastures are healthy thanks to a little help when they truly needed it.
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AuthorThis is a blog to share many stories, laughs, adventures and lessons learned by yours truly, Haley Potter. Archives
July 2023
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