Saving Baby Norman

Well yesterday started out as a Tuesday does for me in ky small town medical practice. See, with the three kids I take Tuesdays off now. So, my kids and I had planned to do their Christmas shopping yesterday. Their Daddy took the morning off from the farm and decided to go with us. So, as a farmers luck would have it we had three cows in standing heat that needed artificial breeding. Well, my kids made their list, and stuck to their budget getting presents for 15 family members.

After we were done, we went to the farm to take care of the cows. Once we got there, the kids practiced with the pony to the cart. And Brian and I had to go back to the barn and work with a calf I had noticed that was down. My father-in-law noticed the little fellow not acting right earlier that day and brought him into the barn, but by nightfall it was obvious he was in trouble. Now, please make sure you have the complete picture, I had dressed for a day Christmas shopping with the kids in dress blue jeans and a snow man sweater complete with Eisenberg pin, and here I am in borrowed bibbers and a borrowed Carhart coat packing a 35-45# calf out of the hay into the barn while Brian and my Father-in-law caught the cow in a squeeze shoot so we could milk her and get some nutritious milk into the calf. We ended up getting him to nurse and take a little bottle too. But it was not how I would have planned to spend an evening with our cows,but emergencies happen. I just need to figure out how to put a NG down a calf. See, cows seem to have different anatomy then people.

I'm the middle of all this, I started talking to the little calf, calling him Norman. For those of you that have seen City Slickers with Billy Crystal you will understand, and believe me even thought I grew up a vets kid in rural Tennessee there are days like last night that I wonder exactly how did I end up on my knees in cow s#@$ trying to save a cow named Norman,.when I would normally be home wrapping Christmas.

Being a farmers wife is great, you just need to remember to always pack your muck boots and warm clothes, you never know what you will end up doing.

Norman was better today. Able to nurse on his own, maybe he will make it. For now he is warm and safe in our barn with his Momma.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5