LUCK of the draw

Well I have to start out by saying.............Saturday had a kink thrown in it that we weren't expecting!!! The morning started out just like any ordinary Saturday around here. Am got up and watched the news...and I laid in bed until nearly 8:00 (I remember a few years ago when getting up at 8:00 was extremely early lol) I got up and started some laundry. He went out to go feed the cows - as we were going to go to my mom's and be up there by 1:00. Anyhow, while he's gone I eat my cereal and check emails and whatnot and ride awhile on my new exercise bike. Next thing I know, he's coming back in the house. He's rooting around for a bag of colestrum. I asked him if he has a new baby calf and he said yes. It's premature by a good month. He said it was up and things but he didn't think it had eaten. It wasn't too many hours old. I knew it was too early to be having one, as we start calving at the end of January - first part of February. Anyhow......I got out the large measuring bowl and we mix up the stuff and put it in the "baby bottle" and off he goes. It wasn't too long after that, the phone rings and it's him. He said he's going to bring the baby to the house. When he went back down w/ the bottle, the calf was on its back and not getting up. He said it wouldn't have survived an hour like that. He suspects it got knocked over or something. Anyhow, he asked me to go out to the garage and get the "leftover carpet" and put it in the utility room. I ran outside in my pajamas and boots (yea I know...what a site) and FINALLY found the carpet roll. It was up in the rafters of course, so here I am standing up on the lawn mower!!! I managed to get it down. It wasn't as long as I thought it was going to be........so I get it in the house, unroll it and have a place made between the laundry units and the freezer. I also got out some towels (not any that we use mind you....just old ones that are thrown up on the shelf) He finally made it back and he carried the baby into the house. (He had him in the back of the truck if you were wondering where it was) He laid him down and he wasn't moving much. First thing he requested was one raw egg. (it's something his dad and he used to do in the past w/ a calf in this condition) I put it in a measuring cup so we could pour it in...but it didn't seem to go down too well. Not sure if the calf wasn't swallowing or what. Next, we covered it up and rubbed it down good and tried to get it warm and things. [ok...I need to stop calling it 'him' since we now know it's a HER] My job at this point was to sit behind her and keep her head up. She did a decent job on that...... so we just continued to rub her down and kept her covered up. At one point, her big eyes weren't looking too good. I thought they were really cloudy looking and Am pointed out that they were sunken in her head quite a bit. I mentioned she's a preemie - her little hoofs aren't even fully developed. I can't really explain how we can tell - but trust me, it's obvious. I should have taken a close up of that but I didn't. After trying to get her to eat, we gave up for a bit and just kept her warm. Am tried to get her to stand and that was pointless - very lethargic and just wouldn't straighten up her back legs. {I also got in trouble for taking pictures...as he didn't think it would live at this point......} Later on, he kinda stood her up and then sat her down on the other side....... you know how you like to switch sides when you sit! One thing I did was stick my finger in her mouth to see if she had any kind of sucking reflex. Seemed like she did a little bit so I decided to re-warm the left over "milk" on the stove (can not microwave it - it kills the nutrients) We tried the bottle again and it seemed to work this time. Didn't eat much...but still got some in her!! Let her rest a bit and then Am stood her up and she stood on her own this time!! Then it seemed like she was hungry - so we kept giving her the bottle!!!! Now mind you, not all of it went down but she did manage to get some in her!!! After a while.....she just kind of milled around on the rug area. You could definately tell that she was feeling better and 'bouncing back' if you will. Am decided to go fix a spot in the barn for it and "Momma" (that really is the momma cow's name.......or #84 as he calls her lol She's my favorite old cow - very gentle and nice) The next problem was....to get the old cow up to the barn!!!! I babysat as he did that! lol Just sat on the floor with her and she just stood there the whole time. Am came back and he carried the baby to the truck and he sat in the back with it and I drove. The old cow was NOT close to the barn mind you - and I feared I'd get the truck stuck on the icy part of this area. Anyhow....he went to the cow to try to shoo her up and no luck. SO....I carried the calf down to where they were and then Am took her. Started walking and the old cow would follow for a short bit then go back to where she had it. This was very irritating after about 10 times. By now, it's after 12:00 and wellll - I wasn't sure if going North was going to happen before dark at this point! haha Next problem was the other cows - they got nosey. We drove back to the barn and put out some feed/hay to keep them occupied and then went back to the cow/calf. Rudy was also a pain in the neck - - aaaahhhhh Well...after the other cows were done eating - they decided to come back and they all huddled around the pair AND Am - - - I could tell he was getting p*ssy and he finally picked up the calf and started walking. (by now it's about 12:40) As luck would have it......Momma followed. He hollered at me to get in the truck and drive (this was after he hopped on the tailgate with the calf - and thankfully, Momma followed. WHEWWW got her up there, and then she (the mom) wanted to go back down. That is where I came in handy to shoo her back up towards the other way and Am would show her the calf and she'd follow. Had a bit of a problem with that a couple times but FINALLY got them in the pen!!! I took off for the house in the truck so I could shower and get ready to go to mom's!!! It was 1:00 at this time! haha Am walked back once he got them settled into the pen and things. We went on to mom's and enjoyed the evening (as you read in the posting below this one) and when we got home, we drove straight to the barn (yes...in the car haha) The calf was still alive and seemed to be doing fine!!!!! yaaaay This morning, we both went down. Am filled up a couple of tubs of water and we hauled them down on the back of the tractor. I helped him dip the water out and into a tub for the cow and then he fed her some alfalfa hay. The baby got up and moo'd a few times and Am said she's rather dumb on not knowing how to eat. He coached it a few times and finally by the time we left she had latched onto one on her own!!! Anyhow....this evening, she was running and jumping around in the pen and he said he could tell that she'd sucked on her own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippeeee!
Well...that's the story for today! And by the way.......................we've named her LUCKY!!!!
As she is LUCKY that she survived! Here are several pictures - ENJOY!!