The Quonset NICU

It's full-blown calving season. And of course, the cows made a huge debut during the big snowstorm last week.  I just have to say that I was slightly ammused.  Apparently, the local maternity ward was bursting at the seams. Women were laboring in the halls of hospital because they didn't have rooms.  As for us? We had five calves that night.  There's always something about a huge storm right? And it's convenience?
So the husband was out in this big storm too. Poor guy. He was making sure that the calves were drying off and getting enough straw to keep warm with their mama's.  The sad thing is that we did lose one calf.  It was a twin.  It seems the mama was too busy with the other one, and this one rolled off the straw and into the snow. So sad.
This also means that our Quonset has turned into a NICU. A few nights later, there was a calf that could not stand up or keep warm.
My husband had gone to check on the cows, and I had gone to sleep. A while later, I woke up to the lights still on. I figured it was about 11 or so.  I looked at the clock and it was 3 AM. I went out to the kitchen to find my husband. I asked what he was doing up and he told me about this baby calf that couldn't stand or get warm. The calf came to the Quonset NICU and he had been warming him and feeding him all night.
You want to know my first thought? I didn't feel too bad for him. I thought (like I have in the past), "This is kinda cool to see HIM be the one to stay up all night and take care of a newborn!"  Aren't I so nice.  And the cool thing about him, is that in between he had cleaned the kitchen and folded all the laundry. I do NOT do that when I'm up late taking care of babies. So that was kinda nice. Okay, so maybe I did feel bad for him that he was tired the next day. But what can you do when there's a baby to take care of, right?
A couple of days later, the calf was still sick. My husband came home and his jacket had stuff all over it. I asked him what in the world it was, and he said he had been milking the mama cow! So there you go. I guess we do milk cows! I had no idea that they did that when needed.  I didn't know the cows let them.  He said that she did try to kick him, but he had to get some of her milk for her sick calf. I guess it worked!
I kept meaning to go down there and get a picture of the NICU for you, but I just haven't mustered up the courage to walk in the cold and the snow. Too much effort for this sick and pregnant lady. :) Yep, we are expecting in September.  And then I will be the one up all night with a newborn. :)