Calves

March is calving season for us. It is a busy but good time to see baby calves ushered into the world. Our calving season got off to a rough start when we lost our first two calves. We haven't lost a calf in a few years, so it was a bit discouraging but all has gone well since then.

Here is a new calf that is almost a week old. It was close to the fence so I snapped its picture.

Seth got a great deal on a livestock trailer from a former neighbor. The boys are washing it out.

Eliza was the supervisor??

Who knew that writing on an ear tag could be so interesting. Seth was preparing an ear tag for a new calf and the kids were clamoring to see what he was writing. He simply wrote "VZ 2012 #9."

For pasture reasons, the cows and calves were over at Seth's parents. But the time came to move them back to our place. Here are a few of the calves waiting to get off the trailer.

Getting an ear tag to identify this new calf. (Yes, this picture was taken in March. We've had some unseasonably warm days--80 degrees--and we've had to get out the shorts and t-shirts.)

A look that the cows and calves. Pretty content. We're still waiting on two more calves to be born.

Emmet taking a head count of the new calves.

A new calf by its mother.

Seth was just checking the new calf to see if it was a heifer (girl) or a steer (boy).

"Don't go near my calf!" Some mama cows can be pretty protective but we've got some really tame ones who don't mind too much.
Our cow/calf herd is slowly growing and it is a joy to have it be a family operation. The kids like to feel useful by checking the cows a couple times a day. And the chores are good for them, too. It has been great weather this March to have calves!