A calf is born (6 pics)

[JeffR]

Since we're on some sorta quadruped jag around here these days, here's a series taken back in April down on the farm. The calf is named Alexandra (can't remember mom's name). She was born on a sunny afternoon in the apple orchard.

Midway through the delivery:


Mom checks to see if she has a live one, while keeping a wary eye on the paparazzo:


A little tongue bath for the newborn:


Cleaning still in progress, though mom is starting to get ticked about the camera:


A few minutes and a few false starts later, it's time for baby's first steps:


Early the next morning, Alexandra and her mom took a stroll in the orchard before joining the herd for spring grass al fresco:

[blueraven95]

1. I really love that last photo

beautiful.

[JeffR]

2. It was a brisk morning. Poor mom was hoping for some privacy

instead of being stalked by my dog and me. She later got really fed up when a couple of dead trees were cut down in the orchard.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. Major "aww-w-w-w-" factor... :-)

[graywarrior]

4. Wonderful photo's, just fantastic!

[xiamiam]

5. great photos...this is what i love about photography...you get to see an event like this and share..

i like the last shot for the look on the moms face..like you could get trompled in a sec if you weren't careful..its just great..

[JeffR]

6. Thanks, all

As xiamiam said, it's a great thing to be able to share experiences through photography. I've shot about 200 photos at the farm over the last few years, and there's no end of simple miracles to point a camera at there.

And xiamiam, this cow and 80 or so of her cohorts came close to squashing me a couple of years ago when I stupidly opened the door to the barn from the inside because they were too crowded around the door to get at it from outside. I got knocked into a concrete manger and just managed to scramble over it before they all started rushing in. They're gentle creatures, but they're just so big it's a dangerous thing to get between them and wherever they want to go, especially if there's food involved. Some months later I was forking hay into the mangers from the upper barn and managed to fall through the trapdoor.:scared: Fortunately there was no camera around at the time.:blush:

[superconnected]

7. Wow, to be born and start walking so fast!

I really liked the 2nd to last photo best but the whole photostory is great.

[JeffR]

8. Thanks. I've never understood why we humans take such a long time

to get up and walk around after we're born. We'd be much better motivated if wolves and coyotes were hanging around the maternity ward, I guess.

[Eurobabe]

9. Awwww, isn't Mother Nature amazing?

I'm sure I will see ALOT of that kind of thing going on in the spring here...we are in cow heaven. As one can attest sometimes when the windows are open. Landluft!!! Phew!

[JeffR]

10. Ah yes, manure and hay. Nature's perfume.

This is a little creek that runs through the farm. Pretty much all the "mud" on the near bank is cow-generated.

[F.Gordon]

11. You promised to post these months ago

Each and everyday since then I'd wake up... fire down a cup of coffee... and run to my electric cave in hopes of finding the pics that ol' Saint JeffR would leave on my monitor. And each and every day I would be disappointed. On my monitor every morning was just a lump of coal.

These are beautiful but I have to ask. Where are the three wise cows that traveled to give the new born cow gifts?

I can finally say.... "yes Virginia, there really is a Saint JeffR" For that, I am thankful. I can now die a happy man.

O8)

[JeffR]

12. What are you spiking your coffee with out there?

Gotta get me some of whatever that is.

The three wise cows were the ones who stayed in the barn and got their food brought to them instead of going out to forage.
:dunce:

[TahitiNut]

13. yummMMM! Veal!

:silly: :dunce: