“Agnes is calving!” was the cry, and from that moment, I did not leave her side. Well, her ‘near side’, or about 12 feet away, as this girl does like her ‘space’.
I knew what to watch for and watched quite well. Agnes mooing loudly and looking at me as if to say, “Seriously?!”
Her water broke and her contractions were fierce and yet I did not see any little hoofs sticking out, which is what happens soon after. Well into ‘it’, I called Our Friend The Farmer, who answered,
“Is it time?”
I explained that labor was not progressing and with her history of multiple calves, we both had reason to be concerned. He, said let’s give it another 30 minutes. The 30 came and went and Our Friend the Farmer (Chief Calf Midwife) was on his way. My Loving Spouse and I only had to move Agnes into the head catch in the barn. This became something of a cow rodeo, as you can imagine, that Agnes (heavy with uncomfortable labor pains) did not wish to be moved anywhere.
Calves birth best coming front hoofs first. I was really concerned that the lack of progress meant she calving head first with possible twins. Seeing a hoof made me extremely happy, but still Agnes was not making progress. Our Friend The Farmer did his best James Herriot routine.
Yep, there is a reason why you only see one hand. He then says,
“Okay, Ellen roll up your sleeves.”
I quickly take off my good watch, roll up my sleeves and double-check that my rings do not come off easily, because where I was going was slippery! I stuck my hand inside of my cow, got pooped on and felt a huge hoof, learned how to apply the chains we’d use to help pull the calf and then reached in farther to feel for the calf’s face. I felt an open mouth and long tongue. It was amazing! (Sorry, no pictures, as we were all busy trying to get the calf out, but here’s my hand after!)
With lots of pulling from Our Friend the Farmer, a large bull calf was born!
Prior to his leaving, Our Friend the Farmer stuck his arm in one last time, to see if Agnes was done calving or if she had another surprise up her…well, not her sleeve exactly. He declared her calving finished, no twins or triplets this year. We just needed our little bull to stand up and nurse.
Standing up on the wooden barn floor proved slippery for our bull. Between the barn floor, the wind outside and the tough birth, little bull was going slow.
I checked on him after dinner, to find him up on his hoofs, but not nursing. Agnes would not go back in the head catch, so we could push little bull up to nurse. The barn is a fairly small space and Agnes is a fairly big cow. One must be cautious when dealing with a big maternal cow! The little bull was up, just when Agnes decided to lay down.
I followed Our Friend The Farmer’s advice to try to get a bit of Agnes’s milk into the calf, so he had a taste and smell of things. This is how, I came to be milking our big, black Angus cow who was lying on her side in the barn. Black Angus cows have all the equipment of a milk cow, but not the disposition, so milking them at anytime is something of an accomplishment. I couldn’t help but think, if my Uncle Jim (our Farmer Uncle) could see me now, milk in the bucket and she only tried to kick me twice!
Just as My Loving Spouse showed up with the bottle, Agnes stood up and the little bull finally found her teat. The barn cats got the fresh milk and My Loving Spouse was quite amazed at what a good cow Agnes is or at what a great cow woman his city born wife is, yes one of those.
Welcome ear tag H18 or as we’ll call him…Hal. 
The pictures could be blurry and our clothes smell of barn…stuff, but believe me, we are blessed.
