Once again, I looked out in pasture and saw Joy by herself on the front hill. She was pawing and turning and up and down.
No Joy in this one because I didn’t have my camera/phone, but this was what I saw on my way back out (you’ll understand that comment later).
So I went out to haul her and her babies up from pasture. But she hadn’t had them yet. So I just hung out. The rest of the herd showed up and I had to keep shooing the young bucks away because they thought she smelled interesting.
Bull (he wasn’t being naughty, but I didn’t have a picture of Tommy)
Then she didn’t give birth. I did a check and found big feet and nose all smooshed together in the birth canal. I hadn’t come out prepared to pull a baby, so I didn’t have a towel with me. Trust me, it is hard to pull those slimy little kids without something to help keep those legs from just slipping out of your hands. I did the only thing I could and whipped my shirt off to use.
I finally got both legs out and pulled. I tried to use my hands to open her up. I pulled. I apologized for hurting her. I wished I had my phone. Then I put my foot on her back side so I could pull harder. Then I tried working it out again. We were making progress, but very slow. It was a good thing he wasn’t even a dot bigger because I barely got him out, but I got him out.
I left her in pasture and went back to the house (to put a shirt on) and got a towel and my phone. When I got back, she still hadn’t stood up.
I let her rest and keep cleaning him off, but it was getting dark.
Finally, I had her follow me into the barnyard and over to the buck room.
Poor boy was worn out–it was a hard birth.
Don’t worry, I did give Joy some pain meds. She is doing well.
Joy with a food pan full of baby.
In the morning, her baby had rattling lungs because it was such a long, difficult birth and hot humid weather, so he got meds.
Joy’s buck
Now they are both doing well!
Teresa
Eden Hills 