It's a boy!

I noticed that Buttercup was off by herself, away from the other three cows in their paddock, day before yesterday, usually a pretty good sign that a cow is about to freshen - that is farmer talk for having a calf.

I checked her a couple of times throughout the day, but no calf.  Yesterday morning, I asked Androo if she had had her calf yet when he got here about 8:00 a.m.  Nope, no calf.

We were hard at it all day, I in greenhouse staging orders and sorting out the plants I wanted to get into my garden, and Androo doing the garden work, taking tray after tray of cukes, squash, cauliflower and broccoli plants.  I walked off the rows, estimating how many plants we could cram in per row, and how many rows we can squeeze in.  It's a tight fit!  But I have all of those market baskets to fill, and we will need to have the garden overflowing.  Androo also spot seeded the radish rows, reseeding where I have already pulled radishes for orders.  Hopefully it will cool off a bit again so that we can get this second crop of radishes out before they get woody and hot.

I was really beat, but had to take a quick shower and take orders to Purple Porch.  I had quite a few plant orders, which were all staged from my morning's efforts, and had a few bars of soap and some spices to take in.  I was running late as usual, and heading down my lane with barely a moment to spare.

Wait!  I slammed on the brakes.  There was an animal with a lot of white on it, and none of the cows in that pasture have that much white.  And it was too little to be a cow.  Up and running around already!  Buttercup had her calf!!  How exciting.  But I was late, and so I took off for Purple Porch.

When I got home, Androo and I herded mother and calf to the nurse pen by the barn.  It is a bull.  And he too is the spitting image of his daddy, Sam.  I think he will sell quickly.  He is beautiful, big and healthy.

This morning I brought Buttercup into the barn to relieve her of some pressure, since her udder was full to bursting.  I milked off about two and a half gallons of colostrum, leaving plenty in her for the calf.  Some of our shareholders wanted a quart of colostrum, and the rest went to the bigger calves. 

It was such a pleasure to milk her.  No dramatics, no histrionics like we went through breaking Dolly and Smarty Pants, although they are behaving like perfect ladies now.  :)