A New Arrival

Buttercup's New Baby

at Flint Hill Farm

What a wonderful evening! I was feeling a little stressed for time when I arrived at the farm to milk this evening, but that feeling disappeared as soon as we rounded the corner. Buttercup finally delivered her calf, and there she was, still wet at the very end of the field. All three cows were gathered around for the blessed event (which was kind of scary, since they're big, and the calf wasn't walking yet). Rebecca had her all rubbed down and dried off, but Buttercup was a vigilant momma and licked her for what seemed like hours. We decided it would be in the calf's best interest to carry her in to the stall they had prepared for her.

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Let me tell you: CALVES ARE HEAVY! Buttercup wasn't very happy with the idea of me carrying her brand-new baby, and tried to herd me back to the spot where she gave birth. It took the efforts of Rebecca, Peter and myself to get halfway across the field, where we decided a wheelbarrow might be a good idea. I was worn out! That worked well, and baby was delivered to the barn yard intact, with Momma close behind. Rebecca quickly cleaned the stall and we got them settled, with water and grain for Momma and a clean bed for both.

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When Kathy arrived, she made sure the new baby got up and got the colostrum, which perked her right up. She hadn't stood on her own before. That colostrum was just like Red Bull for calves; after a little help she got right up and began toddling around. Below, you'll find a short video of Buttercup and her baby, 2 hours after her birth:

I am still astounded at the miracles we have access to every day. Emerson said it this way: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”. This was one of those moments. Life is beautiful.