Maternity Ward

Welcome to our maternity ward! Calving has been in full swing for a month now. We can hardly complain about the weather. Some people calve early to avoid the mud, some calve late to avoid the cold. Luck has been our side, we've avoided both.

At current count we have 350 babies on the ground and have roughly 250 left to go. Our busiest day was 26 calves in 24 hours. If I was in charge of the calving barn, we would have babies mixed up at birth, calves tagged wrong and a general mix up off all records. At 3:00 am, a heifer calf looks an awful lot like a bull calf...

The calving is done in two separate barns. One for the heifers and one for the cows. As much as I like the new cow barn, I love the heifer barn. It is old. It kind of leans a little; it's made of wood all dusty, dirty, and dark. But, an old wood building has more character that metal building will never have. The rafters hold my imagination. How many times has someone walked through this door to check on the birthing process? The wood creaks as it shifts in the cold. Cobwebs hang from the ceiling. It makes me think of Charlotte's Web. 

This is a season of long hours, midnight alarm clocks, little sleep, and lots of coffee. But it is also the best time of year. Calving bring new life to the ranch. You can't help but watch in awe at a new born calf as it struggles to its feet seeking nourishment. The natural instinct is so powerful, so consuming, yet so beautiful. 

With 300+ calves on the ground, the pens are a sea of movement. It often looks like a playground with children scampering everywhere. Some are playing tag, some basking in the sun, some stealing a snack from another's mother. Their mamas try to keep track of them, a few more protective than others. On occassion, an amber alert is issued for a runaway. 

We do not calculate the end of winter by the calendar, but by the reproduction cycle. Babies are born in the spring no matter what the calendar says. Sometimes mother nature tells us we are fools, but for this year anyway, we are enjoying spring's early arrival.