#76 Blackie And Dusky
To backtrack a little bit, we had just finished the morning chores by feeding the cows that remain in the main herd. There should have been fourteen eating at the outdoor mangers but we counted only thirteen. Heifer, and soon to be cow, #21 was missing. We presumed she would be up the hill since that is where most of the herd had spent the night before coming down for the morning feeding.
We finished feeding and parked the tractor. The hillside is much too steep and muddy this time of year to attempt even the first benchmark of the forested hillside. There was still a few inches of snow on the ground from our wild Polar Vortex storm system the week before and with mucky ground underneath, made for a slippery walk. Mike and I tried to find #21 footprints but the rest of the herd had made that impossible. We searched through underbrush, around tall fir trees and along trails but could not find the missing animal.
After calling off the search, Mike and I moved equipment to assist with the firewood project to be transferred to the warm and dry garage. Once I was set up bundling, Mike went back to search for #21.
Partway up the hillside, he found #76 Blackie with a brand new baby. This cow had been at the mangers eating hay this morning and must have walked uphill to deliver her calf as soon as the meal was done. The calf was too cold and shaky to get around the undergrowth and slash to Mike had to carefully carry it in short spurts down the slushy, muddy path to the bottom of the hill. He called me to help so the firewood project was on hold while we both got the new family safely in the barn where we dried off the baby and got him nursing while #76 had a chance to deliver her placenta.
After a cold beginning, we welcome to the farm bull calf, Dusky. Born 2/18/2021, weighing in at 75 lbs. His father is sire KC Night Prowler.
Once we were sure that #76 and Dusky were comfortable in the barn, I was able to return to bundling and Mike went back out to walk uphill since we were still missing heifer #21.
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