I'm just thankful we are past that stage of calving here. Hopefully also past blizzards, tho it can happen any time in May, every day that passes drops the odds in our favor. Last heifer held on almost two weeks past the previous one, but they all are out on fresh pasture as of yesterday.
That included a couple of 'hospital' pairs, one a cow that required a C-section, and her 'half grown' calf. I believe the other was a heifer with a calf that had a problem and needed more time. Not sure all the heifers with twins have gone to the 'big' pasture, but haven't required daily care for a long time, just in a small trap of a pasture to help them get accustomed to the 'twin' life.
Meanwhile, cows are calving fine with very few problems in three separate pastures and being paired up and moved to bigger pastures soon after birth.
Several brandings in the area already finished, and our first one about the end of the month, I believe. There has been one bad wreck resulting in a guy with two broken bones and some new steel in the calf of his leg. Running his horse across a feed ground chasing something needing chasing, and horse slipped due to wet ground under the left-over hay on the ground. Such things happen in the blink of an eye, and sure cause lots of hardship, at the best. He is young and strong, and we wish him fast and un-eventful healing from here on. Just sorry it happened. It seems like every season on a ranch is crucial, and spring is probably the worst, since with nicer weather we all need to get everything done 'yesterday'!
mrj
