No Time for Rest

In the nearest shed to the ‘springer pen’, Dale had constructed a sturdy cattle stanchion along one side wall. A stout, double bar stuck out from the right side of the stanchion, making it easy to guide the laboring heifer into the holding device. Once we got her head into the opening of the upright stanchion, we gently closed the head-gate, so she couldn’t back out.

As soon as the young cow was securely confined, Dale grabbed a sturdy length of bailing twine from the wall. Then, with a quick twist of his wrists, he made a slip-loop in each end of the twine. Dale, then readily placed each slip-loop over the end of a protruding hoof of the soon to be born calf and snugged the twine down on them. I was now starting to pay very close attention as I knew Dale was getting ready to put on a genuine ‘learning-clinic’ for me.

My eyes bugged out when Dale pulled my hands over to the twine and started giving me instructions. He told me what the proper ‘45’ degree angle was to pull down on the sturdy twine. He also advised me to not ‘jerk’ on the twine but to keep up a constant and steady downward pressure.

I followed Dale’s admonitions to a ‘T’ ; at least I thought I was. I kept up a very strong downward pull for easily a good minute or more. The new calf was moving slower than molasses in January. I was pulling with a lot of downward pressure and gradually realized that it was easier to execute my pulling pressure if I slid my feet much closer toward the cow. Then I continued to lean backwards slightly, as I pulled downward very steadily and strongly.

Suddenly the calf started to slide out rapidly enough to be observed. Dale admonished me, not to let up. I kept up a steady pull and the calf started to quickly slide out.

Without any warning, both of my feet slipped completely forward, right between the huge hooves of the standing cow. I fell completely down on my back, landing on the messy straw on the ground.

Before I knew it, the new calf was sliding completely out of the cow and straight onto my chest. There was absolutely nothing I could do to prevent the on-slaught. The new calf landed squarely on my chest and stomach along with everything else ever known with a full-scale natural birthing. One thing was for sure; I was drenched; lock, stock, and barrel; from my face, down to my knees.

Many hours later, I was rethinking the episode. I well imagined that probably most people in the same predicament, would have been scrambling as fast as possible to extricate themselves from the situation. They may have been exclaiming several invectives including; ‘yuk’ and everything similar, thinking there could never be any possible ‘worse’ situation in the world, to be in.

But as I lay there that afternoon, I was probably the happiest guy in the world. I had just delivered a brand, new, baby calf that was as personal, hands-on-dirty, an extremely close encounter of the real kind, and I was getting some, down to earth, ‘bonding-time’, before its mom even had a chance. I absolutely loved the experience.

I also got to thinking of 1978, when my daughter, Kristie, came into the world. The head nurse had told me when to come in so that I could watch Kristie be born. I hurriedly donned the special ‘smock-attire’ and hustled into the delivery room. The Doc was holding Kristie up already; I was 10 seconds too late. I thought about the episode with the baby calf, that afternoon. I guarantee you that I wasn’t late that day. I was there to greet the calf with ‘open arms’!