After Bessie gave birth last week, we were so excited to realize that the heifers would soon have calves, too. We counted up and figured all three would calve within the next month at most.

This morning as I headed to work, I noticed Bindi acting strangely. Ted checked as he left and said she was fine. He beat me home and saw she was in active labor, and a tiny hoof was sticking out! She wanted left alone so we went away from her for an hour so her labor wouldn’t stall. When we went back, she came running down for food with the herd, and she clearly wasn’t in labor anymore.

Ted walked up the hill to where she’d been earlier, and he found a perfectly formed but tiny 22 pound calf, stillborn.

Bindi seems fine, though we will watch her closely over the next week to make certain she doesn’t get an infection, milk fever, etc. Also, we’re watching her udder closely as well; if she fills with milk, we’re getting a bottle calf in hopes that she will accept it and allow it to nurse. Ted already found one, and Ronnie is looking as well and will get back to us with what he finds asap.

Poor little calf. He was the first boy born on our farm. He never even took a breath. 😦