A32—Lancaster Fanafeg,Sitanlay, NMMBlar t, ISBO
That’s a heck of a place to have a calf
Goofe-a-mal-doh
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
VIRGINVILLE -
Anything can and usually
does happen on a farm.
The dairy farm of the Carl
S. Miller family of Berks
County is a good example.
Happenings are a com
bination of big and little
things.
The Miller family recently
was named the 1980 Reading
Fair Farm Family in
competition conducted by
the Berks County Pomona
Grange through its subor
dinate granges. Now that’s a
pretty big happening.
But along with this
significant honor, the little
things keep occurmg back on
the farm, particularly when
that operation stretches over
1800 acres, owned and
rented, and includes 328
milking cows and 220 young
stock.
Let’s concentrate on just
one of those little hap
penings.
Just about the time the
Farm Family honors were
being bestowed, son Jeffrey
C. Miller and Rodney
Reichard, who direct the
extensive dairy operation,
had one of the most unique
emergency calvings in a
longtime.
And like the paramedic or
police officer who is called
on to make emergency
deliveries under unusual
conditions, they came
through with flying colors.
“We’ve had our share of
unusual calvings recently,”
Miller explained.
“We’ve had the calves
coming in all imaginable
positions, but this one was a
bit different.”
It seems one of the Miller
cows began calving ui the
meadow and was being
brought up to the maternity
area of the bam complex.
Being one of the more wild
cows, she decided to quit
cooperating when she got
into the courtyard area
which is surrounded by
buildings
The trouble began when
she went for a stroll on the
roof of a free-stall bam,
which is only about a foot or
so off ground level. The rear
portion of the bam abuts a
raised area, providing easy
access. But it’s about an
eight-foot drop off the front.
On the roof, she broke
through some plexiglass
panels with both front legs
and one rear leg.
“When I saw the
situation,” Miller said, “I
decided to take the calf right
there.
“In trying to get her out
first, the calf may have
become badly twisted.”
So the calf was pulled as
shown in the accompanying
photo, with the cow trapped
on the roof.
After the calf was
delivered successfully, the
maternal instinct became so
great that the cow managed
to free herself from her
precarious position. One of
the photos shows her
cleaning up the newborn.
The delivery photos were
snapped by Ken Binkley, a
photographer for Sperry
New Holland who happened
to be at the Miller farm on
another assignment.
The farm will be one of
those visited when the
National Young Farmer
convention comes to Penn
sylvania in 1981. Slides were
being taken for showing at
this year’s convention.
And this is just one of the
little things that can happen
on a farm.
Even on an award-winning
farm.
In top right photo,
Jeffrey Miller and
Rodney Reichard pull calf
while cow is trapped on
roof of barn.'
Above, mother, after
working herself free,
begins to clean up new
offspring.
At the left in a
panoramic view of the
Carl, Miller farm, located
northwest of Virginville,
Berks County.
In photo at the right,
Jeff Miller, left, and Rod
Reichard, stand with
another recent-born calf
with perfect “seven” on
forehead. Behind them is
roof that cow fell
through.
rg :v“