an adoption in progress

As Jake was checking cows late this afternoon he saw a cow with a head and one leg starting to come out.  He ran the cow into the barn, but it was too late.  He pulled the calf, however it had inhaled fluid into its lungs.  This is devastating in many ways, a loss of a life and a loss financially.  For the first time in Jake and I's married life, we had to take down the sign behind every good rancher is a wife that works in town.  We are totally dependent on the cattle industry.

Jake quickly got one of the aggressive orphans to put on the mama cow.  He rubs the afterbirth on the calf and the cow owned it immediately. The cow sniffs the calf and owns it immediately.  The adoption seems to be going well this evening.

Jake currently has 105 calves out of about 350 cows in the groups he is calving.  That 105 calves counts the 10 sets of twins in his groups.