Close to the end of the day, when tiredness begins to settle in the limbs, is not the most appropriate time of day for a cow to have trouble delivering a calf. Nature takes care of these things most of the time, without making a noise. Sometimes though, a tiny break in nature, brings out the need for man's more flexible use of limbs and other veternary utensils as well.
On a very cold and windy day, one of the cows had left the main herd to seek privacy. A sure sign that a cow was in labor and would deliver a calf before too many hours were through. Luke, the farmer, had noticed her absence around 4 o'clock when he drove the tractor out to the field to give them another bale of hay. Foul weather was approaching, and he wanted to give them all the help he could for the night. Cattle burn a lot of energy in cold weather to stay warm, and the more they could eat the better on this cold night.
The temperature had already dropped down in the teen's and the snow was falling in larger flakes. It promised to drop further, as nightfall rapidly approached. Luke's hat wasn't enough to keep the wind from crawling around his neck and face. His mustache was a mass of frozen ice, by the time he got back to the barn. Knowing what he had to do, he began to gather together the tools he would need, and placed them next to the stall. He had done all he could in preparation and walked out of the barn, leaving the lights on.
Lukes wife Anna met him at the corner of the barn. She had begun to worry, when she could no longer hear the tractor running, and he hadn't come in the house. Worry, was a part of farm life. You knew the sounds that should be familiar, and when they stopped, a sixth sense kicked in. You listened and waited, but not too long. If you wait too long, something could go really wrong. As in anything, timing is always the key.
Anna knew by the look on his face there was a problem. She had noticed the cow earlier in the day as she walked to the mail box, walking up and down the fence. Knowing the signs, she was sure that it wouldn't be long before the mother would give birth. Not worrying about this occurance on a farm, would be like lighting up money, to see if it would burn.
Getting to the barn as Luke was coming out, he told her to go get the truck. Anna walked back up the hill to the truck and brought it down to the gate. She managed to get the truck through the gate, in the deepening snow, and waited for Luke to get inside. Anna had on so many clothes she felt claustrophobic. The turtleneck sweater and the scarf tied around her neck, that were about to strangle her, would feel good though, if she had to get out of the truck in this weather.
Luke laughed at how many layers she had put on. His coveralls were warmer than all the layers she had managed to put on, so he stopped laughing. Her help was worth more than a good laugh, and he didn't want her to get her feelings hurt before they started, because that could lead to her leaving him on his own to find the cow and bring her to the barn.
They drove alongside the fence keeping an eye out for any sign of the cow, as darkness fell. The truck was spinning and sliding. If you weren't used to it, you would be sure it would get stuck any minute. Anna kept a steady foot on the gas and didn't use the brake. She knew, that if she tried to go any faster she could slide into the fence. Besides the cost of fixing the truck and the fence, the cows would surely get out during the night. Never a good thing to happen, but rounding up black cows in the dark, was a nightmare. One that Anna didn't even want to think about tonight.
They finally caught sight of the cow standing next to the fence, this was lucky. They might have a chance of using the fence to guide her back to the barn. She seemed to be waiting for them to come and get her, and help her with the delivery that was soon to come. Anna drove past the cow and turned the truck around, never slowing down. Luke jumped out and went behind the truck, as Anna pulled up beside the cow. Now she was getting nervous. If the cow was in too much distress, she wouldn't make it back to the barn. They had to be very careful how hard they pushed her along in the snow. Anna drove slowly beside her, and Luke walked behind her. The cow hung her head down low, to keep the snow from her eyes. She walked along slowly, but she kept going, Anna and Luke never pushing her to go any faster. If she got too tired, from being in labor, she would lay down right where she was, and they would have to pull the calf right there in the pasture, with no cover from the wind and snow, and only the truck lights to guide them with the delivery.
Anna realized she was gripping the steering wheel so tightly her fingers were cramping. Nerves and fear of the unknown had Anna shaking. It wasn't from the cold, the truck had a great heater. She knew that if she didn't keep the truck going smoothly, she would slide and hit Luke or the cow. She felt guilty that Luke was walking and she was riding, and yet, she was grateful too. Walking in the snow in the dark, was a chore she would never willingly choose for herself.
They got closer and closer to the barn. Anna took a breath of relief as Luke closed the gate behind them. The cow had walked straight into the barn. Animals aren't dumb by any means, they know where to find shelter, and how good it is to find it. She had walked close to the stall, and Luke touched her on her side, she stepped right into the readied stall, with straw piled deep for her to lay on when the time came.
Her sides were heaving heavily, and she was having contractions every few minutes. Luke was in no hurry, and not the least bit agitated. This was Lukes way, steady all the time. He put a halter on her and kept talking and humming to her in his easy, low voice. The cow began to calm her breathing a bit, that's what Luke wanted to happen. He wanted to give her time to get herself together from the long walk. Anna waited in the stall with them, there was nothing else she could do yet.
Luke asked her to go get some coffee, he wanted to give the cow a little more time on her own, before actually delivering the calf. Sometimes just moving them to another place would help the process along, and they could have the calf on their own, without any help from their human keepers.
Anna came back with coffee and a small electric heater. She started the heater and stood by it. Her toes were beginning to feel like ice balls, and it seemed to her to be taking forever for the cow to decide what to do. Of course the cold night air, was adding to everyone's discomfort at this point.
The cow would lift her back with each contraction and Anna would ache for the old dear. She knew this wasn't easy for her either, so Anna decided to sit on a bucket and hold her feet up to the heater and be more patient. Luke smiled at his wifes antics. All you could see of her face was the very center, her nose and part of her eyes. She had hoods and hats and earmuffs, covering up as much as possible. He couldn't really tell it was her, from the way she looked. Luke smiled, she would be there if he needed help though, no matter how cold she got. At least they were protected from the wind, here in the barn. Luke had spent many a long night out in the fields on nights like this one in the past and he was grateful too, for the refuge of the barn. Luke didn't like to ask his wife to help at times like this, but his sons had long since left the farm, and they were all there was, together.
The years had slowed him down some, but Luke never quit. Anna was younger than Luke and the arthritis hadn't started so bad with her yet. Lukes hands were hurting now, as the cold seeped in deeper, beyond the gloves and straight to the bone, the cold had penetrated them. He rubbed them together and blew on them. He never could make up his mind if this actually helped, or if it was just something folks did to make it seem warmer.
The cow wasn't making much progress and Luke had decided it was time to get the calf out. He put on the gloves and began to find out the direction the calf was in. He had an idea it was going to be a breach birth, the worst kind. Anna came in to help. Sometimes it took the strength of two people to deliver a calf. Anna was praying that it wasn't twins. She always hated it when that happened. It was hard on the mother, and sometimes only one would survive.
Luke nodded for her to get in position. She got herself situated, and tried with all her might to help pull this calf , the only way to help the mother give birth.
The calf had decided he wasn't ready to leave the warm place he had been snuggled in for nine months. Luke and Anna rested for a minute, it was extremely hard work, not at all like delivering a human baby, but a baby just the same. They couldn't rest for too long, or it would put the calf in danger. One last time Luke and Anna worked together to bring the calf into the frigid night, and this time it worked. The calf was lying on the straw and Luke quickly checked to see if it was breathing. He wasn't. Luke knelt down beside the calf and blew into it's mouth, breath after breath, Luke would blow into the calfs mouth. Finally! It was breathing and he let out a loud maaaa, a sound that he still wasn't ready to be out of his warm home. Anna looked at her husband with relief. Now to keep it alive, on a cold night like this, would be the next hurdle.
Luke and Anna cleaned the calf off, giving the mother time to rest, and kept rubbing it, just like the mother would do. The mother had turned her head away, as if to say she couldn't help quite yet. She was spen,t and there was nothing she could do until she regained some of her strength.
She would have to depend on the two that had delivered it, to keep it alive until she could take over. The old girl had produced many calves for the farm, and had been a good mother, she deserved a rest this time, and Luke and Anna would take good care of her calf.
The calf finally got his head up off the hay. Luke helped the calf to stand up and held onto him, as Anna guided him to his mother. The mother looked down at her calf. She didn't have the strength to push him around and make him nurse, so Anna put the calfs mouth on the mother's udder and squirted milk in him. Anna knew that the colostrum in the mother's first milk would give the calf the needed nutrients for his survival. Nature has provided this as a natural medicine, full of antibodies, for the calf, the same as a child would get a shot, to protect them.
The calf was beginning to suckle, and the mother stood still for her new baby to get the warm milk in it's tummy.
Anna was glad they had not been forced to get a bottle and milk the cow, to feed the calf. Nature had taken care of this calf and mother cow tonight, with a little help from friends.
Luke and Anna stood together watching the calf drink, as the mother regained her strength. It always amazed Anna, the way instinct took over as soon as a calf was born. The mother knew that the calf must get nourishment as soon as possible, and the calves were usually up on four feet within minutes of being born.
Luke untied the cow and allowed her to lick and nuzzle her baby.
Cutting the lights out and grabbing the heater, he and Anna headed up the hill to the house, holding hands and leaving the coffee cups behind until tomorrow.
