Cowgirls Don't Rest

Just kidding.  They do...sometimes.  I needed a day of rest today but the ranch needed me more.  As I was resting this morning, The Prairie Daddy stopped by the house and filled me in on the ranch's needs.  His brother is on vacation for 11 days and we're calving, irrigating, and now haying again. This morning we had a calf with a broken leg and someone needed to go to town.  As much as I wanted to keep my bum planted on that couch, I offered to go and he took me up on it.  He is burning the candle at both ends and has no finish line in sight. 

The calf was born yesterday and was fine.  The mom must have accidentally stepped on it's leg over night and crushed part of it.  It was swollen above the hoof and then just dangling below the knee.  The Prairie Kid and I met The Prairie Daddy at the field and he loaded up the calf.  The tough little thing never even whimpered...just fought going in the kennel.  The dog kennel worked great to transport the calf to the vet.

At the vet's The Prairie Kid took pictures of the first part of treatment.  I was holding the sweet calf on the cart.

Don't worry, that is iodine, not blood...

The vet drilled holes in the hoof so that he could run a wire through it for traction for the foot.

We then took him inside and gassed him.  They pulled his leg taught and casted it and then wrapped the lower end with duct tape to keep poo and dirt out of it.  I held the head and kept the gas mask on him.  The Prairie Kid helped hold the rope taught that was tied around the hip .  Then we loaded him up and brought him home. 

The Prairie Daddy had brought the mom to the corral where they will stay. 

Here is the new cast.  It will take him some getting used to but he should be just fine.

He was still a little wobbly.  I tell you what, this calf is so sweet and he stole my heart today.

Mom came right to him and we're hoping they figure out the nursing thing really quickly. 

 

Now I think I might get a little rest...or maybe go sit in the swather with my cowboy.