In my last entry, I discussed growing up in the bull business. My story now takes us to a different phase in my life growing up on the farm: calving season. It's the best and worst time of the year. If you aren't familiar with this time in a rancher's life, I suggest you experience it. My family and I both artificial inseminate and natural our females. As a result we seem to be calving during the Winter and Spring months. Our constant fears are if the mama cow will drop the baby in the snow or in the mud. Why do I tell you about calving season? The answer is simple. After breeding season, this is the next stage in the beef production story. Imagine these moments in my life.....
During winter calving, it is imperative to check over the expecting mothers so as to be of assistance and get them in the warm barn when the time comes. As a result, I often got one of the numerous night shifts. I would bundle up in the middle of the night, grab the spotlight, and head out to the lot on the four-wheeler. Eyes a blur from the falling snow, I would squint to find the "next" cow. One such night, I found my show heifer, Dolly, in progress. I knew she needed to get to the barn, and I didn't want to chase her. I ran to get a halter. I slipped it on her and walked her to the barn. To my delight, I didn't have to wait long before she had birthed a brand new baby heifer calf. I flew inside and woke my dad. I assured him the calf would be ok, and he went back to bed.
On another such occasion, we had just received our infamous spring showers. The lot was muddy, and it seemed like they all wanted to come at once. We had at least five dropping calves on the ground. We had to quickly find them to get them out of the mud and to a dry area. Now these mama cows are somewhat protective. Frankly, a rancher is the same way, putting his cattle as a top priority in his life. When stubborn rancher meets stubborn cow, it can be pretty interesting. Sometimes, we aren't always lucky and we don't save every calf. Mostly, ranchers spend a great deal of time and energy watching the cattle to ensure the life of every calf. This is where the income lies and it is also the beginning of the beautiful cycle of life.
Imagine my appreciation for nature in having to help save a calf in the waking hours before school. Watching the sun rise into the morning sky as we tag and weigh a new baby. Although calving season can be tough at times, it is truly the best time of the year!
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