Archived News

14th June 2008

In the last 14 years being married to a beef and arable farmer, I haven’t seen a calf being born because we always buy our beef calves in at about ten days old from local dairy farmers.  Last year however we found ourselves with a pregnant Belgian Blue cross heifer, which by yesterday morning was clearly in labour out in the Glebe, just the calf's feet were visible at the rear end.  As time passed though, no progress was being made so we brought the cow up to Manor Farm just in case of any difficulties and we called the vet.  There was a buzz in the air, a feeling of anticipation of a new life and when the vet pulled on a long latex glove it was the typical James Herriot scene.

The cow was moved to a corner of the farmyard which gave more room for everyone to manoeuvre.

The vet, Sam and Ian tried to help pull the calf out using ropes, but however hard they pulled, the calf was not coming out.  

It was time to resort to the calving jack. Lots of lubricant was applied up inside the cow and around the calf and the calving jack helped to bring the calf's head into this World.

The calf was huge and once the shoulders were out there was certainly no way back and yet the cow lay fairly exhausted on the ground and however hard the men tried to pull the calf out, it could not pass through the cow’s pelvis.  Sadly it was obvious that the calf was dead.  To save the cow, the calf had to be removed.

It took three people at a time pulling and rachetting the jack, every possible position was tried but still to no avail.  The men were utterly spent and the only way of removing the calf now was to reduce it's size and so the vet had to remove a hind leg of the calf.  

The feeling of anticipation had long since gone and had been replaced by one of exhaustion and despair at such a waste of life and how sad that all this effort was to try in vain.

The cow is resting now but is still very weak, but I am pleased to say that she is sitting with her head up and is eating well, so we hope she will make a full recovery after such a traumatic birth.