Searching for 76

When looking over the main herd one morning and counting the mothers and babies, we came up one short. On closer inspection and checking all the numbers, we found that #76 was missing.

We had been keeping an eye on #76 because she is close to calving for the first time. Her tag says #76 but her given name is Blackie, she was named after her mother, Black Velvet. Blackie is a friendly heifer. She was part of the show string last year when she was 10 months old and competed in a couple fairs. After fair season was over, Blackie joined the main herd across the river where she was exposed to the herd sire. And now, nine months later, is missing from the herd.

This time of year we have the main herd locked out of the hay fields, this leaves lots of room to roam. Her location could be in the far back by the spring, up the hill under the tall fir trees, across the river in the brush by the road, or down along the six acre field. We split up to cover more ground and finally found her in a thicket beneath a big alder tree. Her baby was happy and healthy and hidden in the thickest brush.

The little heifer calf weighs about 65 lbs. which helps for a first time mother and an easy birth. Blackie had her all cleaned up, and as soon as the baby stood up, went right to nursing. We moved mother and baby together through the field to rejoin the main herd.

Welcome to the farm little Onyx!