Fiona Comes to Visit

on March 10th I drove up to the farm to check on things. Calving season was getting started and the cows required frequent checks. I drove up along Hamilton road so I could check the south fenceline, where cows often go to calve. Sure enough, there was "Feisty" with a wet, wobbly baby. As I got closer I detected the two front feet of another baby on the way... twins! It was snowing and raining and mudding and sunshining, as it does in March, and as I watched, baby number two plopped right out into the mud. What a welcome to the world. Twin girls. I called for help and got started rubbing the babies dry. Strangely, Feisty showed no interest in them, while another cow, Jumbo, insisted on cleaning the babies and (you won't like this part) eating the afterbirth. I kept swatting her away and eventually we got the calves somewhat dry. I got wetter and wetter. These babies were teeny tiny, and it soon became clear that they couldn't be left alone with their mama. So after a lot of rigamarole, we ended up carrying the calves in our arms and trying to get the mother to follow, up to the corral. She didn't have enough milk for two, even if she wanted to feed both, so the big twin stayed with Feisty, and the little one came home to my kitchen.