Drowsy Water Ranch is home to a few big mamas. They run the joint this time of year. They’re noisy, stinky, and demanding. And they eat a lot. Yeah, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “What a bunch of cows!” and, while we are usually very nice, politially correct folks, I have to agree.
Really.
They are.
Cows.
No, really, they are a bunch of cows.
This time of year is when they really have the run of the ranch. We watch them cautiously and vigilantly because they’ve been pregnant a long time and they are starting to birth the next generation of Drowsy Water Ranch Angus.
We check on them at least two or three times a day. Usually, the cows are fine with labor and delivery on their own. We try not to interfere with the natural process unless we have to. Most cows just go off on their own, away from the herd, and through what I’m sure is a painful few hours, have a calf without any help from a team of nurses, an anethiesiologist, or even a friend.
Once the calves are born, we check that they are moving around (they walk almost immediately), nursing, and generally healthy. We tag their ear with a numbered tag that indicates the mothers number and and additional number to indicate the year of birth. That way we know what calf belongs with what cow and when it was born.
After a few short days, the calves are running and playing with eachother just like puppies. The try hay, they drink milk, and they rest in the sunshine. They are happy, cute little creatures.
It goes to show you that even with a cow as a mother, you can still be cute as a button.