I don't post much but wanted to tell about my evening. I was at the local farm store this evening and saw an older gentleman looking at a set of calf pullers. Just in passing I said something like 'Looks like you're in for some fun'.
He told me he had a heifer in trouble and was going to have to pull a calf. Said he guessed he had been lucky because he had run cattle for 30 years and never had to pull one. Had the vet a couple times, but never himself. He asked if I had ever used a set of pullers before. Long story short, I gave a quick run down on what to do, but I also told him it had been a long time since I had done that.
Me and my wife started walking off and I asked her what she thought about me asking if he wanted some help. She kind of laughed and said she was about to ask me if I thought I should ask him. I had never met this man before, but he seemed happy to give me directions to his place and a phone number. I had to run the wife home so she could see about the kids so I changed clothes and grabbed a few supplies from home and headed out.
When I got to the mans house, he was happy to see me. I helped him and his wife get the heifer into the corral then she walked right into the chute. VERY NICE SET UP!!!!
The calf had 1 foot and the head out and was easy tell it was too late for the calf. I asked him if he wanted the honors or if he wanted me to give it a try. Anyway, I gloved up and started, but there was just no way I could get that other front leg out!! We decided to try pulling the way it was and finally it came on out. Nice little calf - not too big for the heifer, just bad presentation. I thought she was going to go down on us but we were lucky and she stayed up.
The lady went and got me a bucket of warm water so I could wash up - did I tell you it was about 30 out with a nice cool breeze blowing!!. They asked what they owed me and I told them nothing. They appreciated it, and didn't really want to let me go without paying anything.
I did asked him to show me how his auto-catch headgate worked as I had only used manual before. He showed me and then asked if I was needing one. He had an old manual catch laying around he was wanting to get rid of. Guess I've got me a new used headgate!!
Sorry this was so long.
He told me he had a heifer in trouble and was going to have to pull a calf. Said he guessed he had been lucky because he had run cattle for 30 years and never had to pull one. Had the vet a couple times, but never himself. He asked if I had ever used a set of pullers before. Long story short, I gave a quick run down on what to do, but I also told him it had been a long time since I had done that.
Me and my wife started walking off and I asked her what she thought about me asking if he wanted some help. She kind of laughed and said she was about to ask me if I thought I should ask him. I had never met this man before, but he seemed happy to give me directions to his place and a phone number. I had to run the wife home so she could see about the kids so I changed clothes and grabbed a few supplies from home and headed out.
When I got to the mans house, he was happy to see me. I helped him and his wife get the heifer into the corral then she walked right into the chute. VERY NICE SET UP!!!!
The calf had 1 foot and the head out and was easy tell it was too late for the calf. I asked him if he wanted the honors or if he wanted me to give it a try. Anyway, I gloved up and started, but there was just no way I could get that other front leg out!! We decided to try pulling the way it was and finally it came on out. Nice little calf - not too big for the heifer, just bad presentation. I thought she was going to go down on us but we were lucky and she stayed up.
The lady went and got me a bucket of warm water so I could wash up - did I tell you it was about 30 out with a nice cool breeze blowing!!. They asked what they owed me and I told them nothing. They appreciated it, and didn't really want to let me go without paying anything.
I did asked him to show me how his auto-catch headgate worked as I had only used manual before. He showed me and then asked if I was needing one. He had an old manual catch laying around he was wanting to get rid of. Guess I've got me a new used headgate!!
Sorry this was so long.
