Tag: calving season

Why… Just Why?

Posted on by onlyinastauffworld

Last week was rough on the ranch. We are getting close to being done with calving. Waiting on two stragglers, one older cow and one going to be new momma. I don’t stray far or long during calving season. I had a Dr. appt in town that I had already canceled and The Stauff said that they would be fine. The older cow, “Mavis” knew what to do and the younger cow looked to be out for a few more days. So I made a run for town. I got all my running done, dropped J’s stuff off to her and raced back home. Raced all day and it still took all day. Nothing is quick when you live an hour from town and 2.5 hours from the nearest “big town”.

I get home and it was getting dark. I went to find Mavis. I knew where she had been that morning and sure enough, she was still there. Although now she was pacing and looking frazzled. A little worry crept into my belly. I got off the 4 wheeler and walked down to where she was. She had been right next to the creek and sure enough, she had calved and the calf was in the creek, shivering. Mavis was frazzled to the point she was pawing the ground and flinging dirt and mud into the air that was raining down on me and the calf. Now, the calf wasn’t in a lot of water, but enough. I went and got our hook that we carry on the 4 wheeler and grabbed his back foot. I pulled him as far up the bank as I could. Mavis instantly went to town licking on him and bawling at me to get the hell away from her calf. I ran back to the house and grabbed some nurse mate to give to the calf, thinking it might help him get up. I fly back and tip toe back across the creek. Mavis was still frazzled. I couldn’t blame her, I would be the same. I eased up to the calf and gave him a shot of nurse mate. He let out a a little bawl and Mavis came running over (as my life flashed before my eyes). She went to licking on him. I grabbed all of my stuff and went home. We would see what tomorrow would be.

I didn’t sleep at all that night. I watched the clock flip to every hour. Finally at 5:30 it was light enough to go see what had happened. I grabbed my hat, and coat and set out. The calf was still in the same spot. My heart dropped knowing it was dead. I got off the 4 wheeler and walked towards it. Mavis still pacing beside it. As I got close the calf moved its head a little bit. I jumped down next to it and rubbed on it. It was alive. “Ok”, I thought, “I will try my best to save you”. I ran down to our barn and grabbed my little calf sled. I brought it back up and lifted the calf into the sled, tied it to the 4 wheeler and pulled it up out of the creek channel. Mavis followed close behind watching her baby be carried away. My plan was perfect until Mavis saw the other cows and she ran to them instead. I thought, “ok, plan B, just take the calf to our basement”. Which I did, it was closer to than the barn anyway.

I pulled the calf sled into our basement and started a fire in our stove. I left the door open on the stove so the heat could roll out to him. I grabbed blankets and started rubbing him down, from his hooves to his ears. The dogs came down to join me and to see what the fuss was about. Sydney, the older dog went into action. She started licking his nose and worked her way down his neck. His eyes were sunken in and I knew he probably had never gotten up and sucked. I ran to our tote with all the milk replacement and electrolytes. I propped him up so he wasn’t laying flat on the floor and ran upstairs to prepare his concoction of hope. I flew back down stairs and tried to give him a bottle. He swallowed a little, but never really sucked. I texted The Stauff. He said to try and call the neighbor to see if they could drench him. I texted him and he said he would be there in 10 mins.

He showed up and was able to drench him. His mouth still cold, but his belly was full. The neighbor left and I settled in beside him praying for a miracle. I would rub on him with warm towels and tried to help him stand. He remained limp and unable to stand let alone suck down a bottle. As the day wore on, he would bawl a few times and then lay back down. He gave me hopes that all was going to work out and then other times, my heart would get sad knowing deep down in my belly he wasn’t going to make it. The Stauff said he was going to come home after work and drench him again.I said to be sure to call me before you leave, as I think he is dying. He asked me why I would say that, and I told him, it was just a feeling. I stayed by his side all day, rubbing on him, trying to get him to drink, and basically asking God himself for a little help.

It was getting close for the The Stauff to be getting home and I was still sitting there talking to my little calf when I noticed tears streaming down his face. I said, “ahh sweet boy, no reason for tears, The Stauff will be here soon and he will get some warm milk in your belly. We will have you back with your Momma soon”. I wiped his steady stream of tears off of his face. About that time I got a call from the lodge asking for some groceries. I told the baby that I would be right back.

I took the stuff to the guys at the lodge and ran back. I wasn’t gone 10 mins. I got back and went back to my perch next to my new found buddy. I started rubbing on him and talking to him. My eyes glanced as his belly. Then my heart stopped when I realized that his also had stopped. He had waited until I left. Hot tears dropped on the same sweet nose that I had just wiped his tears off of. Both dogs came and sat by me as I fell to tears. I got up off the floor and went and sat in a chair beside him. The Stauff arrived about 20 minutes later.

The Stauff walked in and saw me staring at the calf with a pool of tears soaking into my sweatshirt. He looked at me and then at the calf, “Is he gone?”. I shook my head yes and said, “yea, about 20 mins ago”. He checked the calf and then picked him up and carried him out. I got up and started cleaning up my mess. Milk replacer all over the counter, different sized bottles, the drenching bottle, blankets and towels all to pick up. The Stauff came back and said that he had taken care of the calf and had put the sled away. My brain was mush. Everything that I had begged for the last 24 hours was gone and all I really wanted to do was crawl into bed and cry.

The Stauff went around the cows and found that the cow that we didn’t think was going to calve was indeed in the process. He said he would stick around and wait to make sure everything was ok with that one. He went to check and then pretty soon he came back. He said, “well, good news and bad news. Good news is, she calved and the calf is up. The bad news is, there are a bunch of cows and calves around her and the calf doesn’t understand who its mother is and being the first time mom she is getting antsy. So, let’s bring them into the barn where they can get to know each other by themselves.

I grabbed my hat, went and grabbed the sled that was just put away and away we went. The Stauff threw the calf into the sled and the Momma was hot on our tail. She followed us to the barn and after a little persuasion, she went into the barn and into her little box. We grabbed the Momma some sweet alfalfa hay and water and let them be. The Stauff had to get back to work and gave me instructions on what to do the following day.

I went home and sat on the porch with the 2 dogs. I watched Mavis walk out of the group of cows back to where she had last seen her baby. I watched her stop and look all around, holler for her baby and keep on looking for it. I fell apart knowing I failed and I wasn’t able to help her baby. If there would have been a way to tell her how sorry I was, I would have done it in a heart beat. I sat there and listened to the frantic cry of a mother who lost her baby and desperately wanted to find it. I finally collapsed into bed with swollen eyes and a broken heart.

The next morning, I again got up early and said a little prayer, to God, Jesus, Dad, Great Grandparents, spirit guides and actually anyone who would listen. I begged them to have this calf be healthy and know who it’s Momma was.

I snuck into the barn and held my breathe. Little rays of sunlight sneaking through the cracks in the wall. The calf was curled up in the opposite corner that I had left her in the previous night. The Momma was still munching on her sweet alfalfa. I walked over to the calf curled up by the fence. The Momma immediately started talking to it. I knelt beside it and she lifted her head to meet my gaze. I reached out my hand to rub her nose and there, resting on her face was a little white patch of hair in the shape of a teardrop. Considering all of our cows are 100% black, it surprised me. The Momma was sucked down and all was well. I kicked open the gate to let them out into the big pen in the corrals. The Momma started to walk out and turned and talked to her baby. The baby jumped up and wobbly legs slowly stepped into the warmth of the sunlight. The sun highlighted her white tear drop and it stopped me. Grandpa had always said when you get those little random spots they are really kisses from angels.

I dropped my head thinking of my little baby yesterday and the tears that were running down his face. He might have died, but maybe he helped save this one and in doing so, dropped her a kiss on the face just for me. I smiled as the little calf started to feel new energy run through her as she gave a few little bucks trying to keep up with her Momma. I smiled and thought, “yea, this one gets a name. I don’t care what The Stauff says”.

And so ends calving of 2026. I lost one, and I repeat a could’a, should’a, would’a every day and probably will until the day we sell our steers. Then next year, I will have another round of begging and prayers to anyone who will listen. The circle of life on a ranch. I don’t think it ever gets easier, you just learn to pivot and move and hope some frantic Momma cow doesn’t turn your ass upside down. And… did I mention we had a fire on the ranch? Oh yea.. next story.

Understanding Calving: A Rancher’s Journey

Posted on by onlyinastauffworld

Ahh April.. April on the ranch means one thing to me.. Calving season is upon us. Will we get snow one day and 80 degree weather the next? High possibility. Will the heifers know what to do with their new bundle of joy? We hope so. Will I end of cussing one, or multiples telling them how GA DAMN stupid they are.. High probability. But, at the end of the day, will I thank God for helping me get through the day? Every day.

Since The Stauff works away from the ranch during the week, I am head chief. Scary, trust me, I know. My nerves that attach to my stomach get uneasy about February just thinking about the upcoming season. Steady breathing into a paper sack and thinking that indeed the day we turn the bull out with the cows will be devine. Just a few months of WTF was that, sleepless nights, frozen hands, tears (always is) and who knows what else. When The Stauff gets home, he runs through his calving book and matches it up to my notes from week. I guarantee he does this when I text what number has calved during the week, but, I think it makes him feel good knowing we are on the same page. He likes to know which cow calved on what day, etc. He is in charge of tagging the calves when he arrives on the homestead. He has the 4 wheeler tricked out with a hook mounted on it, so when the time arises, he is locked and loaded. He usually leaves bright and early in the morning while I am “looking” like I am sleeping. Sometimes I really am and he scares the shit out of me when he comes tromping back in. I always give him the “Well? Anything new? Did you get your calves tagged?”. Then he gives me the low down. This last week I sent him verification the #12 calved. I started carrying my phone with me and I would just grab a picture of the new momma and send to him. Mainly, so his questions of “is the calf up? the mother ok? She cleaned off?” are all answered in one quick pic. I saw her up against a hill as some other cows wandered past her. As I pulled up on the 4 wheeler I saw a little black head bobbing behind her. “Shit” I said, “you calved”. Calf was up and sucking, mother was fine, but a little pissed I was lingering snapping pictures. I say to myself, “12 right?” She was too busy tending to her calf to give me a portrait picture. She finally swung her head up and I honestly thought she was coming over to “visit” with me. I snapped the picture and told her to ease up, I would leave. I drove off pondering, “that was a 12 right?”. I stopped, zoomed in on the picture and was like “Hmm, has to be”. I journey on counting out my magical number and making sure no one had anything suspicious hanging out of their back side.

I get home and I do my daily check in with The Stauff. I send him the picture and caption it with, “You have another to tag this weekend”. He responded back with, “#12?” I was like “Ok, he agrees”. I type back, “indeed. She was a little fiesty. Reminds me of #11. Good mother, but damn, don’t get in between them”. He types back, “great”. I made my notation in my little book and went about my day.

Friday evening comes and The Stauff rolls into the house. He grabs the sack of ear tags and starts writing out his numbers he needs to go get them tagged. I tell him, “well, for sure #11, #12 and Big Bessie will have a target on your ass as soon as they see you”. He says, “I know, I will see what I can get done.

He comes back and says, “Well, I got #11 and #01. I was thankful I had the 4 wheeler between me and Big Bessie though. She was blowing steam onto the 4 wheeler seat looking over it at seeing what I was doing to her calf. I couldn’t find #12 though. She must have it hid out”. I was impressed. The man is actually so good at that. I don’t know why I even wonder if he could get them tagged.

We check cows 3 to 4 times a day. We just run through them, get a head count, and make sure all is well on the prairie. Every time The Stauff would go out, he would come back and say, “No luck. She just won’t bring her calf out. But she has no care in the world; she just watches me as I drive around.” This went on Friday night, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday. Sunday morning, after his early morning run, he comes back and asks, “Are you sure she calved?” I say, “Dude, the picture looks like #12, doesn’t it?” He grins and says, “I am just teasing; I am pretty sure I saw her walking off with a calf Friday night when I got home anyway.” Later that afternoon, when he was getting ready to leave, he says, “Maybe you can find her damn calf this week. Don’t worry about tagging it; we can always tag it when we brand.” I took the comment as a challenge. “Aye Aye, Captain,” I said, grinning. After he left, I went on my mission. I found #12 standing with the other new mommas, and legit, there was no calf nearby. I drove around the sagebrush watching her, waiting for her to get nervous and come grab her calf and take off… Nothing happened. She played it cool as a cucumber. Monday comes, and again, I find #12 and start to scan the area for a ball of black fur. Nothing… I check again at noon and again that night. Worry came over me, and I thought, “God damn, what if something happened to her calf? What if it died?” The rational part of me said, “If that calf died, she would be standing right beside it, bellowing to it, and I would cry.” I took a deep breath, admitted defeat, and went home. I got home and pulled up the picture again. It had to be a #12. As I zoomed in, doubt crossed my mind, and I gasped, “Shit, is that a #11?” I closed my eyes and dialed up The Stauff. He was like, “Yessss.” I said, “Hey, so do you think #12 really calved?” He sat there for a moment and said, “You said it was #12.” I said, “I said no such thing. I sent you a picture, and you asked if it was #12. I merely agreed. Doesn’t that picture look like a #12?” He said, “Blow it up.” I blew it up, and it started to blur more. I let out a big sigh and said, “Dude, I don’t know. Maybe it was #11. I guess we will see if she calves again.” Then I burst out laughing. He didn’t see the humor that I saw, but it was funny. Just thinking of The Stauff hunting this ghost calf, cursing his mother for hiding it out all weekend, and then realizing that she might be hiding it in her stomach still. It was too much.

Last night when I made my nightly rounds I had predicted that #04 was going to calve by morning. She had that far away look in her eye and she was looking for some alone time. This AM when I shot around the cows I went to the area I had last saw #04 first. Sure enough, a new baby lay beside her. I drove over to her and walked down close. I made damn sure I had the number. #04, check, baby, check, 4.28.26, check. I went about my business finding the other ladies. All accounted for and I headed back to the house to warm up. I texted The Stauff, #04 calved. I forgot my phone, so I didn’t have hard proof, but I thought I had hard proof with #12 or #11 and look where I am today. He texted back, “What an eye!”. It could have been because I was cold, or maybe because it was early, but I didn’t see the humor that he had found. Then when I didn’t text back, he realized that I must not have saw the humor either, and he changed the subject to the weather.

So, here we sit. I circled #12 tonight as she was out enjoying the sun and munching on grass. I stopped and we chatted. “well, well, did you calve or not old girl?”. She kept staring at me. I said “Am I losing my mind?”. She stopped chewing. I laughed and said “I take that as a yes”. Stay tuned to see. Will she calve or has she already calved, THAT is the question and with the prices right now, that is about a $1500.00 question. Plus side.. We are over half done with them.. then we have to brand..HAHAHAHAHA..