Valentine's week found Doug and me dealing with poor herd management. We try to be sure all bull calves are "taken care of" at birth, but apparently one slipped by us and was mature last May, because 5 heifers in the feedlot tried to give birth this week. This is BIG TROUBLE, because the girls have been on full feed- not conditioned as cows- and have huge calves. They just can't deliver normally. This is where Doug's valentine gets involved. For three days, hours upon hours, we tried to help deliveries. I will spare you the details, but loader tractors and chains were involved.
Seven years ago, when I watched Harold and Doug pull a calf (from a cow), I was so overwrought I had to go home and lie down for a while. Now this week was MUCH WORSE, but by now I worked right alongside Doug, as determined as he was to save the girls. No calves lived, and two of the heifers didn't. This happened to my dad and his feedlot sometimes, too. But he always sent me to the house when the vet came. Doug does the opposite now.
On one long morning, cold and rainy, we were working with a heifer for 2 hours when I finally said, "Let's call the vet." He replied, "We're going to lose them both anyway, why spend the $100." To which I replied, "Ok, but I think the money we saved ought to purchase some FINE VALENTINE on Saturday."
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