It's Twins!

We had a pair of twin calves born this week as our first calves of this fall calving season.
Most do Winter/Spring calving, but because spring is when my husband's 7-5 job gets really busy we do our calving in the fall when he's not as busy.

Hubby was out checking the flood water one evening and discovered the twins.  The next morning I went out to check on them to make sure the cow was accepting both. They sometimes don't realize they have two calves and will neglect one. I found the cow and one calf in the corner of the pasture. Fearful I'd find a dead calf, the dogs and I started a search for the other calf. During the search we discovered another birth. Cow 66 had a white-faced black heifer. After texting hubby that birth, I continued my search.

We found the other calf all by herself sleeping near a tree in the middle of the far pasture. I checked her out. She was perky, ears up, and eyes alert, so I left her be. When hubby came home that night, we went out to vaccinate and tag the calves. We caught calf 66 and tagged and vaccinated her, but the cow with the twins again had only one with her and the other calf was following 66 and while she was allowing it to hang with her, she wasn't allowing it to get milk.

Hubby picked up the twin and carried her to the alley way to the corral. Then we herded the cow and other twin to the alleyway and once they were all together the stray twin started drinking milk. I had to let the horses that were in the corral out and close soem gates, but we eventually put mom and the twins in the corral to keep them all in close proximity of one another.

We headed to Princeton on Thursday late afternoon and asked our daughter to check on the calf. We told her if the calf looked like it wasn't getting any milk from the cow, to take it home and feed and care for it. She told her girls this.  The granddaughters were ready to take the cute calf home! Fortunately for us, the calf was doing fine and the cow was allowing it to drink. The girls were so upset they were crying.

Hopefully the cow will continue to nurse and the calf will learn to stay with her and the other calf. We'll keep them in the corral for a week to make sure there is a good bond.