Think God woke me this morning at 6:30am to go help the calf. Only went to bed after 1am when Herbie came home from work. Put a warm dressing gown on, and long SmartWool socks, and went to check on Star. She called to me when I came through the tunnel, and there was a calf on the ground, a semi-frozen heap. Took a towel and started rubbing him down, mama helping with her tongue, calling softly all the time. Realised he, yep, I checked and it's a boy, went back to the laundry and half filled 2 buckets with hot water. Poured them into the large 17 gallon bucket after breaking the ice out of it, and dragged that little boy into the hot water, scooping handfuls up his neck. 3 of his hooves were sticking out, but he wasn't shivvering so much anymore. Star started drinking the water from around him, so I went and got another 2 buckets full.
When I got back, all 4 of his feet were in the water, just his head over the side, poured more water on him. After leaving him in it for a while, mum licking his head and neck, and drinking more water, I tipped it over and started drying him with more towels.
Went and got a heat lamp feom the garage and rigged it in the milking parlour, then carried / dragged him up the step under it. Star was a little concerned, but followed him up. Continued to briskly rub him whereever I could. Put feed in her milking stall and attached her to the wall while she was eating. Brought him over to nurse, but he wasn't getting the hang of it, even with me squirting milk in his face. Her left back teat was shoosting milk. Went back to the laundry and filled another bucket with hot water and a little bleach, my hands were frozen and I couldn't hand milk her. Cleaned her udder off, stripped a little milk from each one, then put the milking machine together and milked about 1 1/2 gallons from her to soften up the udder, and to get some colostrum to tube feed him. Forced a little down him, he was up and bumping into her, fumbling around.
Probably with all the hands-on touching, he's not scared of me. A first with our calves - they are usually so skittish. Got him sucking my finger, but couldn't get him close enough to a teat to transfer him. Mum moves around all the time too, which doesn't help.
But he's up and perky, and after I saw her leading him to the door to go out into the snow, realised she was probably thirsty, and was taking him up to the water trough, so I schlepped more hot water to the big bucket for her. Left them there to come and make some tea, and start the other chores.
Called my dad, naming him Shaw for my dad. He said I should name him Sure, as that's how the Americans pronounce Shaw :). I'll pronounce his name Sh-oar, without the R at the end, as in the thing you row a boat with, which is how we pronounce Shaw. Disappointed that it wasn't a girl, but happy both mum and calf have made it thus far.
Can hear the roosters crowing, I feel like going back to bed - Herbie has slept through it all. But will finish my tea, go check on Star and Shaw, then feed the chickens and sheep. Done the dogs and cats already.
Wow, did I struggle with Star tonight. Her udder is so full it was rock hard. Don't think Shaw's managed to nurse yet. Late this afternoon, got a little milk down him with the tube feeder, and he pooped a huge, black poop. I'm not happy with that, it was probably his first poop, but it needs to be yellow from the colostrum.
He was lying down in the straw bed Herbie added to this afternoon, and mum couldn't see him from the milk stall. I tied her, cleaned her and attached the milking machine. With her back left leg doing whirl kicks. Eventually I gave up trying from the side, and as she'd just pooped, was OK to attach it to her from behind. Back there I could better avoid the kicks, and she kept tipping the feeder on it's side. She was not happy. Got probably 2 gallons from her, udder still huge, but a little softer.
Cleaned her up and released her. She went looking for Shaw. He is still cool to touch, looking listless. I'd taken the tube feed bottle down with me, and had warmed it, about 1/2 the bottle. Straddled him lying in the straw as he wouldn't get up when I stroked his back, lifted his chin, pushed the tube down, and got rhe whole lot down him. He thrashed a little, but I held him down.
When I was taking all the milking stuff back to the house, a few trips as my arm is not fully functional yet, saw he was up, standing behind his mum while she was munching hay.
Washed up, now need to put the colostrum on jars for the freezer. Have lambs coming, a good supply of colostrum is nice to have if necessary.