New Calf

********* Warning this post contains graphic pics   ******

So yesterday I headed into Brooks to drop off a blanket I had sold a girl.  I had not been to town in a while so I went early and did a look around.  I stopped at the scrap booking store and ended up with way more paper than I need but it was soo nice I had to get it and it will get used someday.  And Marks I was looking at the clearance rack and got 2 shirts for $18 that I really like.  I also went to the western store (of course) and they had some nice shirts in there, but they were more than i wanted to spend right now.  Sometimes I am so cheap and it doesn't make sense.  But at the tack place I ended up with a brush, a bag for my boots and of course some treats. 

**************   Another warning about Graphic Pics coming Up ***************
Then Neil calls me and says he is coming to the vet with a heifer and should be there about 5.  Well I met the girl at Tim's and headed over to the clinic.  Vet said the calf was too big to be born so she was gonna do a c-section on it.  I asked if I could take pics and she had no problems with that.  So here goes a pictorial story of a calf being born.  First the assistant scrubbed the freshly clipped area.

Then she gave the heifer an epidural so she wouldn't try to push, and gave some lidocaine in the side where she was gonna do the incision. She clipped with big clippers a big area the a closer shave where she was gonna cut.  Here she is just started the incision.

About 3 layers of muscle to cut through after the skin.

Then the heifer decided she didn't want any more of this.  She went down in the chute and we spent quite a bit of time getting her back standing where we wanted her to be.  Good thing the clinic is fairly clean (or was before we got there)

We got her all back in place, sorta (notice how her head is not in the head gate anymore, just her halter tied to the fence), then cut through the uterus and out comes a back leg.

Neil had to get in there to help to, he is holding the chains on one leg while the vet finds the other one.

Then two back legs are out and got a long ways to pull.

Kinda blurry but the body is coming out.

And hes alive!!!  Into the calf cart they have waiting.  His face is a little swollen from the long birth time, but its always a relief to have him still alive after all that.

And the uterus hanging out.  Sure don't look like it is big enough for a calf to fit in it now.

Looks just random as she is sewing it back together, amazing how it looks so crazy and no order

And then you get this, all sewn up and back to normal.

Now we just got a hole in her side that needs to be stitched up.

Two layers of muscle done, one more and the skin left.

And then she decided she was done.  She backed all the way up the chute and outside and by the time we got her in again I had to hold the halter so I didn't end up with anymore pictures.  But I did get the calf this morning and he looks better.

Afterwards we went for supper at the chinese buffet and I had to take off my sweater cause it was covered in blood and so were the jeans, but at least its not as bad as on the grey coat.  Felt kinda grubby but I was super hungry.