What a $%^@@! Day. Got a call early this morning. Heifer started calving for the first time.....STUCK...And I mean this sucker was stuck Chuck !!
The oldest girl Grace, and myself got some OB chains and handles. Feet were showing, faced the correct direction. (not a breach birth) Head had started at the same time as feet, That ain't gonna work. Put the chains on the feet, Pushed the head back. Knew the calf was dead, The the feet in the correct position ? Log jam....Now I ain't the man I used to be ? But after 10 minutes of all out pulling ? Didn't take a vet to figure out This bassard was just too frigging big for this heifers size. Sent the Mom after a fetal extractor.
Mom comes back with one a the neighbors and his daughter...He's big, his 21 year old daughter is bigger. Me and Grace on one leg, those 2 on the other.....PUUULLLL... Very little movement. This went on for 20 or so minutes....Extractor time.....An extractor...Is a fairly brutal contraption..Kinda a cross between a farm jack and a come along...Won't spit it out ? winch it out..... Last resort to me.......WEEELLL.....Another 20 minutes on the extractor, and almost snapping the shaft in half, We got the calf half out, It's hip hung, the extractor ain't gonna cut it. Time to get brutal.....
Used a 1 ton 4WD to get it the rest of the way out. Haltered the heiffy to a tree, and let er rip. FINALLY it came out. The heiffy is still alive ? But I fear she's hip sprung, And it's a matter of time before she'll have to be put down. I don't think she'll ever be able to get to her feet. Seen this before.
We did everything we can to help her survive this.
Well, Doing this job, Sometimes ain't just a hole helluva lot of fun. When this shat comes up ? If you get the calf and cow both alive and well ? It's one of the best days you can have. A 50/50 like today ? It's pert bittersweet, You did all you can do. Loose em both ? Pert much just SUCKS ! A loser all around, and with this one today ? It may take a couple days before you even know it's a loser, Then you have to put down a defenseless animal.
Ain't nature grand.
Screw it, I'm calling it a day. TIRED and SORE...I'm too old for this shit...