Adventures with Lucy the Family Cow: A Calf

In order to avoid organizing and cleaning my house today, I decided to throw on my swimsuit, clean chicken coops and swim to cool off.

Lucy had other plans.

I noticed from afar that she was raising her tail and then sitting down. This is what was happening. Not a sight I am used to seeing.

Ten minutes later it was like this.

Then a few short minutes later we had this! A calf.
I congratulated myself for a job well done even though all I did was snap pictures on my fancy phone and post them on FB. How did cows birth calves before smart phones and social media?

Then Lucy immediately stood up and went into licking machine mode. She licked, licked, and licked that calf clean and dry.

The calf tried to stand up within 30 minutes, but Lucy would lick him and knock him down. He finally did get his feet under him. Did I say him? HIM?
Yep, it's a bull calf. It's the year of the bulls. I should have known because Lucy had very neat and tidy forelocks. They say if the forelock is neat it will be a bull, crazy hair will bring a heifer.
I even tried messing her hair up a few times but it always went back to looking straight and tidy.

Of course this is the day when my oldest is out west playing cow girl and Devin is working. I thought I could move the calf and Lucy to a more secure paddock for the night, but alas Lucy would not leave her calf. I attempted to pick him up but the baby is very, very heavy.

Thankfully I have friends with strong husbands and one willing to drive over and carry the calf into the next paddock. Lucy followed. :-)

So milking starts back tomorrow morning and hopefully I will find another excuse to avoid organizing and cleaning the house.
Here's to a very healthy calf and a mamma cow who licks like a champion!