Gonna get me some cowgirl boots.....

Saturday was a big day for me. My original plan was to scrapbook all day. A and J were off to the last hockey tourney, so it was going to be a quiet day at the Lawson farm.

As I was driving out of the yard I saw that a mama cow had just birthed. I stopped to watch and see how things were going. After watching for about 15mins, I noticed the baby wasn't moving much. I went closer and saw that the calf was breathing and moving his ears, so I thought things were good. I did text a neighbour just to ask if there was anything more I need to do. He told me that I should make sure that it gets up soon, especially since it was windy, and he was right our in the open, no shelter to shade him from the wind.

I went back in about an hour and saw that baby hadn't moved at all since I last left. I went down, cautiously as the mama's are not super keen on new people being around their babies. I got close to the calf, and saw it was not doing well. He was shivering, and breathing heavy. I could tell that he hadn't gotten up, and it needed to get up and start drinking. I started talking to the mama, telling her that I needed to help the baby, so please...PLEASE don't charge me. (i know you true hard core cowgirls or cowboys are rolling your eyes, but I felt that I needed that mama to chill and let me help her baby.) I worked with the babe, rubbing it, massaging it, trying to help it stand up. As soon as I got him to stand, he would fall right over. He was really lethargic, and not perking up. The mama instinct in me told me I needed to get that baby some nutrients, and I knew I was not going to be able to get the cow to let me get the baby over to her to get it to suck.

I knew Ad has colostrum in the vet cupboard, so I mixed up it up, but could not find the bottles with the big nipples......what to do??

All I had was sippy cups, so I took out the stopper and put it in there!! When I got back to the calf, it was in the same position as when I left and his eyes were all half-rolled back in it's head, and not very responsive. I forced some milk down his throat. He liked that and after a bit of it he perked up a bit.

(Mean while still cow whispering to the mom.....she was nervous and even doing the hoof in the dirt and flicking it backward.....like a bull getting ready to charge. )

I could not get the calf to stand up and get moving. I had to get my neighbour to come help because even though I got a bit of milk into him, he had to get moving and get sucking from his mama. He came over and helped get the calf up and getting it moving. (I wasn't being "rough" enough with it. I was caressing, massaging, talking to him...telling him to get up....get moving, when what I needed to add to that situation is to yank on his tail upward and basically startle him....shake him out of his zone.) After that he did start walking and followed his mom.

I felt like it was my own baby(well...okay, not like my own baby, baby..but you know what I mean.) To watch it walking all wobbly following his mama, was really gratifying. Plus it was so cute to be petting and working with a new baby calf. (cute -when I wasn't cow whispering to the mama while she was snuffing and mooing to get away from her calf!!!)

Since I grew attached to the new baby calf I decided I had better name him. Here is a picture

of new baby calf Jackson. Nick name Jack. (cause you know that's how we roll around here...gotta be able to break the name down into a nickname!) Don't worry I won't be getting baby Jack's name tattoo'd on my body or anything!!

So I figure I a going to trade my black UGG's,(which by the way got lots of cow poo on them, but I didn't care) for a pair of pink cowgirl boots! Maybe like these:

Or at least for a pair of rubbers. I'm sure you authentic cowgirls are saying...just cause you helped one calf, doesn't make you a cowgirl....but let me tell you. I feel like a cow whisperer, calf saving cowgirl!