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
The Kitchen's Garden 
71 responses to “Late night, early morning”
So Eha did know something, holding her breath waiting……you can breath now Eha, we all can. Gorgeous little Bobby, I love that he wanted to be frisky and Queenie probably just wanted to close her eyes and rest. Dear little piggie too, Boo would like to get in there with her.
Shush! Just by accident, total accident . . . . and not the result . . . . but it does say something for the Fellowship that these kind of happenings come to play such a big part in our own lives, wherever we live . . . .
Life is glorious! Weird, sometimes sad, sometimes unbearable but glorious all the same. c
Who can put it like that bar you 🙂 ! ni-ni Milady!!
Good work, Queenie. Good work, Celi. All the creatures of the farmy, good work. And Tiny Tima is looking especially cute, such tiny trotters and such a lovely turned up nose.
beautiful baby )
Wonderful news, and a warm welcome to the newest member of the lovely growing farmy! I see Boo is still doing his nannying duties!
Now you need to get some rest!
Hi Celi … at last another baby or two! Your pics are just perfect. Love little Tima and as for Queenie’s boy … he is beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing with us all. 🙂
Two healthy calves, all power to you, clever woman! xxx
please be very careful next week or 2
some cows can be very protective of her new calf,and can hurt you, do not enter small pens with her and calf, please respect her from a distance,be ready to jump fences if nessary, this i know from experience
because she is named queenie, will this be prince bobby?
I am an EXCELLENT fence jumper.. thank you for the warning Ron. I am very careful. Daisy taught me well! c
Congratulations! I know that it must have been nerve wracking waiting! Loved the photos! Babies babies babies!
A little bull!!! Wow! Hope you get some much needed sleep tonight! Glad the weather is good for you.
Here we are in the middle of a blizzard and there is no visibility at all. 29 from Fargo to the Canadian border is closed and so is 94 from Bismark to MN! No one is going anywhere.
I sure hope it fizzles out when it passes on through. We had thunder and lightning during this storm! Weird!
Take care Celi!
It is just wonderful that you do what you do so they can do what they do 🙂
Well done the all of you., including darling Boo taking up the slack in the baby sitting duties for you. Tima is utterly adorable, but then so is Poppy. Do hope you can get some real; rest, and enjoy your lovely fresh baked bread XXX
Wonderful news on the new baby! How is Ton doing? Cyst getting smaller?
all gone, just reabsorbed and he is shiny and happy again.. c
YAY!!! Such a Handsome Fellow too:) Happy Day on the Farmy – love the baby animals this time of year!
I’m do glad the birthing worked out so well, you must be relieved. That little piggy is so cute. Today the temperatures rose to 10C! Woohoo!
Oooh, I could feel your fatigue after such a night! But the wonderful news is Queenie did well, and everyone behaved… well, as best they could. Country music? What a corrupt barnyard that could lead to – animals going redneck, drinking, and carousing!
Yay for another baby!