Warning the last picture is graphic!!! it is the placenta that one of the calfs were born in, do not look if you are faint of heart or find things like blood and guts disgusting. Thanks!
This Easter Sunday I was headed into town to go pick up a few things for the jeep I am working on. On the to the gate at the end of the property I live on, I noticed a lone longhorn cow to the left of my driveway. I went to get out of my car and noticed a newborn calf next to the cow, I was excited about the chance to see the baby, the other thing I noticed was another calf on the ground the mother cow had given birth to twins, one calf and the mother walked off as I stood up out of my car, however, the second calf did not. I waited and waited and the mother cow had made her way half a mile or so to the herd which was almost out of sight, the second calf still did not stand or get up to go with the mother, not knowing mother cows will hide their babies I was pretty worried and went over to the calf, the calf stood up and came over to me, When I moved te calf followed, I and the calf follow me to the motor cow and as we to about 10 feet away I put the calf in front of me and backed away, the mother was not interested and would walk away and eventually the calf would follow me again, I decided to take the calf home, and put the calf into the back of my little 4 door VW. I took the Calf home and We called the rancher who rented te land next door and owned the cows, e asked us to take the calf over to the herd and see if they would accept the calf, and he would be there and a few hours to check on the twins. I went to town and purchased what I needed, when I got back home I was told the rancher called and could not find either of the twins or the mother. I met up with the rancher and his son who both were riding horses around the property to look for the calfs. I was able to find the calf I dropped off. The Ranchers found the mother, but she had apparently already hidden the other twin. They rounded the herd up and the mom and one calf were placed in a pin, we are hoping the other calf will show up in the next few days or we are afraid the calf will be found by coyotes or starve. I've spent the last two days driving around the neighbors' farmland to no avail but I did get to see the beauty of birth taking place on Easter, learned about roaming longhorns, and how ranchers handle their cows and how much they care about each one, my neighbors had many named and could tell them apart easily. We both are pretty sad about not finding the other calf, and maybe it will still turn up but even if it doesn't that's just the nature of living. I don't claim to be a rancher or that I made all the right calls trying to help, of that the rancher made the right calls, I am only reporting of what we did do and my experiences as well as what I learned on Easter.
