When Dad goes to the city

When dad goes to the big city for a day Momma and the boys get a relax day. A day to sleep in, watch TV and eat snacks… SAID NO COWBOY MOM EVER!!!

When Dad goes to the big city things get a little haywire around here. Shenanigans be had.

We wake up spry and early because dad left at 4am and we can’t be to far behind at 6am. Thanks Fergus.

We head out the door to check cows it’s a cold early spring morning. There’s one new calf.

We drive around a bit more and find a little heifers calf who seems kind of lethargic, it doesn’t happen often as we calve in April but we grab this little calf and bring it in the house. Her name is now called Didums as we ride back to the house and she’s going to spend the day getting fed, warmed up, dressed, cuddled and have stories read to her by the fire. I’m certain by the days end this little lass is going to be feeling much better 😉.

After a quick breakfast and tubing little Didums we head back out. The boys play on a dirt pile near by while I feed the cows. We’ve decided to pretend for the day that we are actually raising Dinosaurs instead of cows and horses. So I was actually feeding dimetridons (I’m not sure what Dino this is)

Next we all load up in the skid steer and head up the hill to feed the broodmares…. I mean Brachiosaurus’.

After, we check back on the cows and L26 has just calved so we tag this wild Dimetradon baby and fight its mom off as she comes at us with both front claws. I tuck and roll and the boys shoot her with their tranq guns. Phew that was close. New Dino Moms… am I right 🤣

We notice L-8 starting to calve2 front feet, perfect. We go for lunch and to Tube Didums again. She’s still not great the boys cuddle her some more and read her some more books.

After lunch we check on L8 there’s two front feet and a swollen tongue. ‘Oh no’ I think, we need to run her in and pull her.

I grab trusty ole Arrow saddle up and trot him behind the quad back out to the pasture. Now I have to get mom innovative. Don’t judge.

‘Fergus,” I say. “There is a Dino mom who needs help getting her Dino baby out, I need you to sit here and play on this dirt pile with your brother. I can see you and you can see me so holler if you need anything but I need you to be big and kind and look after you little brother”

“Yep, I got this mom”

As I trot away I just hope this heifer comes in nice and quick and easy….

I can tell you now she didn’t.

It took some time I didn’t want to run her so we slowly worked back and forth back and forth. She was a little high headed.

The boys played peacefully I could hear their giggles.

I got her through the gate, now just to go across this small pasture and into the alley. She walked nicely by then as I eased her up the alley I could hear the quad coming up behind me.

I turned around to see Fergus slowly putting along with his brother in the buddy seat smiling away.

I closed the gate and trotted up to them.

Fergus was beaming

“Mom, I kept my brother safe and I didn’t go faster than first gear.”

We all dismount and proud mom gives both boys big hugs and kisses. Proud for making smart decisions and proud that they didn’t beat eachother up.

Ok now to pull the calf….

She’s a little wiry the heifer. Unsure of what’s happening. I run her into the maternity shoot and the boys watch anxiously as I put the chains on. When I reach in and grab a foot the calf pulls it back.

“The calf is alive! Praise God!”

The boys squeal in excitement, they were quite concerned it might not be.

I put the pullers on and wait for her to push. I gently tighten each time she labors. This head is a little large for a first time calver. But slowly he comes, first the head, then the shoulders, lastly his hips break free. We all jump for joy at the new life that has arrived today. Mama is not a happy camper so we quickly drag babe into a stall and let mom in with him. We all breathe a sigh of relief.

It’s now pouring rain so we unsaddle load back up and head to the house to check on Didums. Hoorah! She’s up, now to take her back to her mom but first, photo shoot with the kids.

We reunite mom and Didums the boys give her a kiss on her head and say their goodbyes.

We finish evening chores just before dark, dinners on the couch and dad arrives home just in time to hear our adventures from the day. What a relief dads home for us to appreciate all he does and more.