Beautiful Bovine Birth Day

Greetings and Holykisses,

The cows on our little farm have been popping left and right.
And yesterday... knowing Oreo was getting close; I pulled on my boots and ran to check her while one pan of cookies was cooling on the counter and before the next went into the oven. Finding the cows, I discovered she was not with the herd. I then scanned the fence rows to see if I could spot her under a cedar tree but she was no where around. That left the woods and that's where they almost always run off to hide when they're in labor.

It had been a long time since I've witnessed the miracle of birth on our farm. Usually the mother to be delivers at night or when we're off doing our own things. So finding Oreo in labor, excited me. I only had my cellphone along and really wanted my other camera. There was one other time when I left a calving cow to run for something and came back to the whole thing being over with. I missed it because I left. -- But this day; I made a run for it and really didn't have a choice because afterall; I'd been baking. I must have been really excited because after I ran all the way home and got my camera; ... when I got back into the woods I couldn't remember if I'd even turned off the oven. Egads! That was one of the reasons I went back to the house in the first place! One other thing I'd forgot was my orange vest and it's bow season. Most of the No Huntin paint has worn off our posts, so ya never know if someone could be down in there or not. It was kinda creepy.
Do you know how hard it is to sneak through the woods and not make alot of noise stepping on crunchy leaves and sticks? Cows don't usually want an audience when calving. It can even upset them so much that it just prolongs everything. In the picture above; I was being ditched. I'd crouched down to get comfortable and my dang knees cracked! She heard them! Up the hill she went to find herself some privacy.

Or so she thought....
I backed off for a good long time and just watched from a great distance behind cedar trees.
I facebooked with my friend Sue lol.... and listened for hunters while combing the treelines wondering if I was in anyones sites.

Oreo moved around quite abit. Finally she was getting closer and headed back to the woods.
So did I.
It was really neat being so quiet... and just listening and watching.
I hid behind a tree and hoped my camera wouldn't be too noisy.

She decided on this spot for her birthing room.
Look how close she is to the prickly pear! (cactus)
Once she started pushing; it really didn't take all that long.
When it came out she got up and started licking off the sack but she stayed at the front of it's legs for so long and not it's head.
I started getting concerned because it hadn't moved and I wondered if it still had the sack over it's nose and couldn't breathe. I really didn't want to intervene because usually Mom knows exactly what to do. She was licking like crazy trying to do her job. I was just hoping she'd hurry up and clean off his lil head.

Before long, I heard a little snuffle and then kind of a snort and the lil rascal moved. Next thing I knew his head bobbed up and
he sat up and looked around.
Awww... I just love the miracle of birth and could never get tired of seeing it.
At this point I was saying, "Thank you Lord!" and trying hard to you know... not do a sommersault, squeal, or jump up n down.

Oh but what a mess.
The baby started trying to get up in all that wet mess and just kept getting muddier and muddier.
Momma didn't care though. She just kept scrubbin him up with her rough tongue.
It was no time at all and he started trying out his new legs.
I watched for awhile. He kept fallin back down and I never did see him get on all fours.
Decided I better go finish baking cookies and let these two get acquainted.
So I wished the baby a happy Birthday, and walked back to the house.

Today I found them with the rest of the herd and the baby was lying down right in the middle of the haypile. Oreo is still doting on him. I keep calling it a him but don't know if it's a bull or heifer yet.
All I know is ... it's a
miracle.
And I'm so happy I got to see it.

Holykisses xoxo
Lea