I faming, Saturday, August 26,1995 On Being a Farm Wife (and other hazards) , Joyce Bupp “OK, this isn’t funny anymore,” I muttered to no one but myself. With that, I hauled myself up off the blacktop, where I’d ungra ciously tumbled onto gravel and dust. After gulping down his eve ning bottle, the bull calf tied in the wagon shed had promptly wrap ped me in his bale-string tether. Before I could get away, he’d wrapped the string around my left ankle, neatly tripping me. It was a fitting flourish to an evening of near-tears frustration. Earlier, a favorite young cow had calved with a beautiful, big, fPOOOC3C3C3CXDCpCX: Cowtown Rodeo Cowtown, N.J. ital of the First Frontier” “Cow Ca Located on U.S. Route 40, eight miles east of the Delaware Memorial Bridge in Salem County SATURDAYS THRU SEPT. 30TH Every Satuiday Night ★ ★ 7:30 Rain or Shins Admission $lO Adults ★ ★ $5 Children 12 and under Free Parking ★ ★ ★ Refreshment Stands Group Rates' Available: CJI 609-709*3200 heifer calf, a perfect, normal de livery. The Farmer would be pleased when he and our son re turned that evening, after spend ing the day together at Ag Pro gress Days. In another calving pan nearby lay a large heifer, in early labor. By milking time, she rested with her tail against the barn’s block wall, the calf’s nose just beginning to show. Knowing she couldn’t deliver the calf against the wall, I tried to rouse her. She struggled to her front feet, pulled herself ahead enough to allow birthing room, but her back legs didn’t seem to want to work. Calving, especially for first time heifers, is difficult on occa sion. A hard or prolonged labor may temporarily cause muscle weakness and spasms in the back legs. That appeared to be this heif er’s problem. But the calf was in position and delivery seemed im minent. Shannon, our herdswoman, ar rived and fastened delivery cords to the infant’s feet; we began to pull as a team. And pull. And pull. Strange. This calf did not appear to be that large. But despite our ef forts, we didn’t seem to be making much progress. We tried pulling from various angles in the tight quarters. Both of us at some point examined the cow internally. The calf was where it was supposed to be. It was not too big. But it seemed to be “hung up.” Again trying to move the heifer, we cleared enough room to open one of the pen’s wide gates, so we could get some leverage with the strings. 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The calf appeared to move a bit With renewed anti cipation, we pushed back with every ounce of strength we could jointly muster. A string tore and we went flying in tandem into the gate, landing in the thick sawdust bedding. This was not getting us anywhere. Meanwhile we pained for this heifer in labor and agonized over our inability to be able to help her. And our vet was away for the eve ning. There was little to do but give the heifer some more time; maybe she would dilate further. While we finished up the bam work, we kept checking the heifer. Nothing. Feeding the rambunctious bull calf was the last chore of the eve- Wildfowl Show KLEINFELTERSVILLE (Lebanon Co.) —On September 9-10, the ninth annual Middle Creek Wildfowl Show will take place. In recent years, this show has become a major exposition for wildlife carvers and artists. It will be held at the Pennsylvania Game Commission Middle Creek Wild life Management Area Visitor’s Center in Kleinfeltersville. The show will run from 9 a.m If your local turn doe* not have it, SEND FOR FREE BROCHURE ning. His dumping me on the ground seemed befitting to the mood of the moment. Blessedly, The Farmers arrived home soon afterward and took command. They, too, pulled. And pulled. After abcut 10 minutes of intense efforts, finally finished the job. Something HAD been drasti cally wrong. The bull calf was a month premature, already dead a day or so and beginning to swell with deterioration. No wondei we’d been unable to budge it Re lief that the heifer’s ordeal was over mixed with apprehension tha) she might be permanently paralyz ed in the back legs. Twenty-four hours later, ‘Tan ey” hopped to her feet found the> still worked, and began nibbling a> grass outside the barn. With some time and a little more luck, she might even live up to her name. to 5 p.m. both days. Decorative and Gunning Decoy Contests will be held on Saturday at 1 p.m. Water Dog Retrieving demon strations will be featured on Satur day at 10 and 12, and Sunday at 11 and 2. Middle Creek Wildlife Man agement "Area is easy to reach. Follow a map to Kleinfeltersville (off Rt. 501) and from there, fol low the signs for Middle Creek. SPECIALS FOR AUGUST OLD FASHIONED SHOOFLY PIE BOX w/o SYRUP Regularly $1.19 now $.99 VEGETABLE OIL Special Price $.99 MINT MOLASSES 16 os. Regularly $1.40 Hew $1.19 Regularly $3.40 How $1.99 * FUNNEL CAKE MIX ★ PANCAKE St WAFFLE MIX * ASSORTMENT OF CANDIES * DRIED FRUIT * SNACK MIXES * BEANS * HONEY * PEANUT BUTTER * BAUMAN APPLE BUTTERS * KAUFFMAN PRESERVES * SPRING GLEN RELISHES % Gallon
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