Rule One: Don't Panic.
even when you can't find the calf

by Paul Phillips

It started on August 6th 08 at 2pm, an event to remember for the rest of my life.
My neighbour called saying that Allambie Sunshine had finally dropped her calf.
I'm a Tanker driver in Sydney.
I couldn't get down to the farm until Saturday afternoon.
Very frustrating.

I arrive at the farm at about 4pm.
Allambie Sunshine and Allambie Topaz are both in the house yard,
but there is no calf.
With heart pumping, I start searching around the house compound
thinking that mum wouldn't let her calf go far.
STILL NO CALF.

It starts raining which soon turns to snow. No calf.
I'm now frantically searching the paddocks... but nothing.
Heart rate increasing, I search up and down the road outside the property
..... nothing again. Things are not looking good.

I go to my neighbours to see if they know anything,
Melinda (my neighbours' daughter) has no idea either.
So she joins the search.
Now the wind kicks in. We are wet and cold.
At 5.30 pm it's dark. My front bike wheel goes into a hole
and I do my superman impersonation over the handle bars. OUCH.

Phone call to Tammy Breuer who explains that Sunshine may have hidden the calf.
But I've searched everywhere.
I would have seen it. Wouldn't I?
Tammy tells me to feed Sunshine and Topaz.
At 6.30 pm my neighbour, Shane, comes to look at Sunshine.
She has a shiny teat which means that a calf has been sucking on it.
Heart rate drops slightly.
Then Sunshine and Topaz take off down to the dry creek bed.
I grab the torch and follow.

"Sunshine" I say "So where are you hiding your calf?"
She moves aside and behind her is a small heifer calf.
Black and beautiful.
She must have hidden her in the grass in the creek bed even
though I'd searched there three times without seeing her.

I can't believe she had hidden her so well. Heart rate slowly returns to normal.

It was a good lesson for a new breeder.
Cows are really good at hiding their calves.
Rule One: Don't Panic. This sometimes helps you to avoid injury.
Rule Two: After the cow feeds, she will go to the calf to feed it.
Rule Three: Patience usually wins the day.

Paul Phillips, Salisbury Park Aust. Lowline Stud,
217 Salisbury Rd, Blanket Flat NSW 2583. (m) 0400 701 125