Last Saturday morning was one of those days in late August when there's just a hint of fall in the air. After weeks of stifling heat and humidity it was a morning that gave a person hope that those miserable dog days of summer were nearing an end. Everything felt different somehow; even the cows and calves were feeling frisky when I headed out to feed and check their condition. It was the kind of morning that just made you look at everything with a fresh perspective,
I was feeling really good about things until I wasn't...
As I was heading back to the barn, out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of one of the calves standing off by itself across the pasture. For those of you non-ranchers out there, this is not typical behavior. Usually, when there's feed involved they all come running to partake in the culinary delights know as, well... as cattle feed. Something was wrong...
So, I veered from my usual path and headed to where the calf was standing all alone. I couldn't detect anything from the distance, but as I got closer it started to trot away, limping badly. It was a nice heifer calf, and she didn't get very far before she stopped again. Her left front leg was hanging limply, and she refused to put any weight on it. On closer examination, her leg was undoubtedly broken below the knee. Probably found an armadillo hole while running across the pasture, but there's no way of knowing for sure what happened.
Anyway, not really sure of the proper protocol in these situations, I called the vet for advice. Being a Saturday morning, my text was answered by the "on call" vet whom I had never met. We discussed the options (none of which were very promising) and ended the conversation without a clear-cut plan of action. At least I wasn't told to simply put her out of her misery! I wasn't sure if that was good news, or just procrastination.
The next morning, the calf was nowhere to be found. Fearing the worst I searched for a couple of hours and never was able to locate her. The next few days proved nonproductive as well. I finally gave up and prepared myself for the inevitable. After all, the loss of livestock is one of the pitfalls of the business, and it's a rare year that you don't lose a few head to disease, injury. weather, or difficult births. It's all part of the risk of ranching.
Fast forward to today...
After searching the pasture again, I was heading back to the house when low and behold, there she was. Still limping, but in overall good condition and spirits. I've talked to a few of the more experienced cattlemen in the area, and once again, found that the options are limited for her to have a full recovery. However, she seems to be able to get around okay, and maybe, just maybe, nature will take over, and with some help from the Man upstairs, she will get through this on her own....I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best, but as you all already know....What do I know!
PS: Your prayers are appreciated.
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