Wearing good clothes on the job always means a messy job is on the horizon

It never fails. When I don’t change out of my good clothes, my Farmer needs my help, and it’s usually guaranteed to be messy. The other day, I came home from town just as it was feeding time. I changed into my muck boots and figuring since I would just be driving the tractor, I didn’t need to take the time to change my pants and shirt. Since I’d have my outer pants and coat on, I’d be just fine. We fed the cows and all was good, I was still clean, then my Farmer stated that he had been watching a heifer in labor for a couple of hours and wondered if we should get her in and check to make sure all was ok with her and the calf. Easy enough. We got her in the chute, the sun came out, so I took my coat off ‘cuz I started getting warm, while I stood there watching my Farmer prepare to get up close and personal with the back end of the heifer. Then BAM!! Just that quick. The heifer stomps her foot down and mud and crap (literally crap) went flying everywhere, including on to my nice shirt that was then exposed because I’d taken my coat off. Dang it. I never learn. Before I got too much more crap on it, I put my coat back on. No matter how hot I was gonna get, the coat was staying on!
Well, the calf inside the heifer was in trouble. It was laying on it’s back, its legs twisted. I only know this because my Farmer was describing it to me as he was in there feeling around. My Farmer did some adjusting and got the calf straighten out right. Then is was time for the calf to be born. We grabbed the calf puller, preparing to pull the calf, as the momma heifer went down in the chute (meaning she laid her ass-end down). Unable to put the puller on her in that position, my Farmer yells at asks me to unlatch the side so we can swing it open allowing for more room to pull the calf. Now, I have never opened the side of the chute before. I’ve watched my Farmer do it maybe once. And I remembered reading about how to do it when we first bought the chute. And I remember that it was easy. But at that moment, I had no idea how! As my Farmer was at the back end of the chute, holding on to the legs of the calf that was now sticking out, I was at the front end of the chute running from side to side frantically trying to figure out how to frickin‘ open the blasted side panel! I’m looking at how the dang thing is build, where joints are that probably move, moving handles that make everything move but what I need to move, as my Farmer is yelling saying something about a pin and a lever. I found the pin, but what was I suppose to do with it, and where was the stupid lever! As I am running to the other side again looking for a frickin’ lever, that I evidently hadn’t tried yet, my Farmer yells says “never mind, the calf’s out!”. And alive. Hallelujah! Momma did it with out us having to use the puller. Thank goodness. My Farmer brought the calf up to the front of the chute, laying it in front of its momma, and since he was right there, I ask him where the lever was. He then showed me the rope hooked to the lever that opens up the side gate. That’s what that rope is for?!? I’ve always wondered what it was hanging there for! Now if my Farmer would have said pull the rope rather then pull the lever, I might have figured it out. Well, maybe not. Oh well. I’ll know next time. Unless it’s more then a year, then I’ll have forgotten I’m sure.

After we let the momma out of the chute, she was not too sure she wanted her calf. That can be a problem with heifers. We had one this year that we pulled and the momma wouldn’t take it. We had to do some convincing and she finally did. So it’s always a tricky situation. That’s why my farmer laid the calf in front of the momma right away, hoping she would associate it to herself. Once we let her out in the open pen, the heifer momma just stared at the calf for the longest time. It’s like she thought she should do something but it kept moving and she wasn’t to sure she wanted anything to do with the slimy little critter that caused her so much pain.

After a while she finally got close enough to nuzzle it. She still wasn’t to sure, especially after it tried to stand up. It was pretty funny to watch. She did finally start mothering it, licking it and before long it was up and eating from her. Momma and baby are now doing great.

As for me, I sprayed my shirt with some spray and wash and all the mud and crap came out. If it didn’t, it would have been fine. I was going to just chalk it up to having another work shirt, which means, I would have to go buy a new go to town shirt. Which I believe I still might. I think I earned it and it’ll make me happy. That’s what makes me feel as if I am Livin’ the Life…….the Farm Life that is…