Late night, early morning

Queenie began her labour at 6pm. By 8.30 pm nothing further had happened.

I led her into the barn, trailing streams of waterbag, so she and her calf would be safe from the coyotes, she ate her dinner and then lay down for a sleep. While I proceeded to have a nervous breakdown.

Boo Nanny had babysitting duties while I fretted.

I tried not to check her too often because she needed to relax and focus. Plus every time I went into the barn throughout the night Marcel set up such a caterwauling.  And even when I crept with cat steps to the corner Queenie would rise up and glare at me.  But time was passing, a long time.

After 6 hours had elapsed I made myself lie down for two hours and wait. I was sure that after all this time the calf must have died. There was nothing I could do.

But I was  wrong.  I crept back into the barn just before  1am and there he was, a little bull calf, lying in a steaming pool of hot fluid, clothed in his birth cape looking very surprised.  Queenie would not get up for a long time. By then she was exhausted and confused. Once she was up and was licking her baby I left them to it.  She was furious that I was anywhere close to the calf.  She is a very protective nervous mother. 

And that is why I was unable to post at dawn this morning.  I wanted to get this photo for you. This morning she is still being very pushy with her baby and has been making running attacks at the Big Bobby who is in the next pen because he is getting too close. The new Bobby is very frisky too and wants to leap about and she wants him to stay still.

So I closed another gate, shut down more doors as there is wind coming today, effectively putting the Bobby and Marcel across a corridor and letting Queenie and her Baby have a small but private back pen. Luckily it is warm. I took the Big Bobby’s coat off yesterday, it will be warm today too they say. 

Turned the radio on for white noise,  they  like Country Music – I am getting to like it – which is just as well as it is the only station I can get on this old radio) and they will all have a very quiet day.

Dogs inside. Me staying out of the way. Hopefully Queenie will relax and let her calf drink some more.

I hope you have a good day.  I am going to make some coffee and a couple of fried eggs then start the breads.

Your worn out, satisfied, hungry friend on the farmy,

celi