Calves

I put the bulls in with the cows last spring on April 25, a date carefully calculated to produce our first calf on February 1.  Apparently sweet number 925 is the only one who read the calendar, and gave us a little black bull calf that day.  The others have noticed, though.  When we checked for calves this afternoon there were 2 and a heifer at the house was beginning labor.  At 6:30 there were 3!  Here's 925 and her calf, after deciding I had nothing good to eat to offer them.

Here's the bull calf of Amy's heifer.  We watched him being born, cleaned up, urged to stand and eating his first meal.  I know birth should be a sufficient miracle in itself but it's such a common occurrence I guess we take it for granted.  But to watch a young heifer, who has never given birth or been instructed in it, deliver a calf, clean him up, get him standing, make him walk and show him how to nurse is nothing short of amazing.