Gauge and Dial

We have been watching #64, SAF Gauge for a month. She was showing all the signs of impending birth, but she was not ready.

Each day we would check her and each day would have the same conclusion of ‘any time now’.

Finally 4/19/17 SAF Dial was born, the heifer weighed in at 61 lbs. This baby was definitely not overdue, or she would have weighed 80 lbs. Gauge had fooled us the whole time.

Dial was born in the middle of the main herd. I was halfway across the field when I heard Gauge let out one loud bellow, the calf was expelled and plopped into the pasture grass. The rest of the herd danced around with snorting and bellowing of their own. Some of the other calves were running circles around the herd. Everyone was very excited.

Dial was standing up and eating within 15 minutes of birth. The excitement around her her had quieted down as I coaxed the rest of the herd to eat their hay on the other side of the river.