It is a dairyman’s luck to have a cow go into labor in the middle of the night, on the coldest  and wettest night possible.   Around midnight last night, Dale was helping one of the ladies deliver her calf when it became apparent that she was going to need more help than what he could give her.  She was trying to push her calf out, but the calf had not brought it’s head forward and was crammed inside.  Usually, in this type of situation, Dale could reach in help rearrange the calf inside the womb.  But the cow was pushing so hard that there was no chance the calf could have the room to be lined up.   So, Tyler had to call and wake up the vet in the middle of the night and get that cow to the clinic.

A little over an hour later and much work on the mens’ and the cows’ part, the little calf was born and she was alive!  In previous experiences, a calf in this type of stressful situation usually didn’t make it.

 As she got acquainted with her feet, her mom was having a hard time recovering and was suffering from Hypocalcemia(also called “Milk Fever”).  Milk Fever happens when a cow gives birth and her body gives too much calcium to making milk for her calf and doesn’t have enough for her own body’s functions.

Here, Dale and his grandson are helping her stay in a sitting position after she had received some calcium through an IV.  She stopped breathing a few times and we were afraid we had lost her.  But, thanks to Dale’s quick “Cow CPR”, she stayed with us to fight another day.

Though she looks pretty ragged in this picture, it was a big relief when she finally got up and could go home.

Just one of those nights with dairy cows, thankfully this one had a great outcome.