Mandy Has Calved

Yesterday during morning milking, Mandy decided it was time to have her baby. Right on time I might add. First time EVER in 5 calvings that she has not been at least a week overdue. But anyhow...
By the time I got done milking my last cow, Mandy had little white hooves sticking out of her butt. This for me is a happy thing. I have been up all night with her for over a week keeping watch. She is one of my most beloved cows, and was bred to Roylane Jordan. I already have one Roy calf on the ground, out of Mandy's 3 year old Blitz daughter, and I was hoping for another.


Within a half hour of finishing chores Mandy had her little one out to the ears, and my sister and I helped her finish getting it out. It was unfortunately a bull. However, Mandy was happy with him. I was happy with him because while I was lifting him up in front of her he tried to stand up. Any calf that can be trying to get up within a minute of birth is A okay with me.

And my major benefit from him being a bull...I get to KEEP HIM! I am thrilled to say the least. Mandy is a darned good cow in her own right. Champion both years as a calf and yearling at the Altamont show. She throws big stylish calves that go on and do spectacularly. As a 2 year old Blitz out did every cow in the herd by more than 8 thousand pounds. Plus Mandy is a real, for today's standards at least, not necessarily our own, long lived cow; she will be 7 in less than 3 weeks. Not to mention, little man's sire is Roylane Jordan. Roy is the sire of Harvue Roy Frosty, who was the World Dairy Expo's 2009 Supreme Champion cow.

So he gets to stay.If all goes well he will be a future herd sire so to speak. We'll raise him, and send him out to Dependabull to be collected. Then I will start looking for a big sale to put him in. Or perhaps sell him privately. I'm not sure which. Hopefully I can take him to the OHM show next year. 2 years ago they reopened the under 1 year bull classes at the request of several of their prominent exhibitors. Mandy's son will be in the fall bull calf class if I can/do show him.

Oh and his name? Maqua-Kil Tumbleweed Town. Tumble for short...He does take some serious tumbles....