Every one of us expects some issues at calving each year, though it’s usually earmarked for the tail end of calving when cows have been grazing outdoors and put some flesh back on after a winter of silage. It’s seldom expected to be the older cows that rarely have a hand laid on them at calving time (though there’s a valid reason in this case) but we’ve certainly had an eventful beginning to the 2026 season here.

First of all, let me introduce you to Jenny. Jenny is our matriarch cow and she takes her diminutive stature of about 500kg to be an insult which must be defended at all costs, as many of the cows find out when they attempt to dethrone her.

I’m sure many of us have cattle that should have been culled for their antics much sooner

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But for 51 weeks of the year, she is the sweetest, most gentle cow that will follow a bucket everywhere and bring the rest of the herd trailing along behind.

I’m sure many of us have cattle that should have been culled for their antics much sooner but somehow they’ve become part of the scenery and a blind eye is turned on their frequent misdemeanours.

She has somehow lost six tags over her 12-year stint here and remarkably never torn her ear once in the process.

Twice she has managed to lose both in quick succession so she was running around naked as the day she was born though she’s so well known here she’s instantly recognisable.

However, Jenny has a certain trait. Every year at calving she has chosen the least agreeable time possible to calve, be that storms, three inches of snow, minus 5°C degrees in freezing fog or one memorable time she decided the perfect night would be the evening a family dinner out was booked. So I fully expected her to calve the night of storm Dave, but curiously she didn’t.

Now, note I missed one week of the year earlier, as around calving, she is a little high spirited but we know how to handle her by this stage.

Mid-morning on Easter Monday she started and as she’s normally a fast calver, we got concerned after an hour passed and no feet, very similar to the cow with twins a fortnight ago, which also happens to be her daughter.

After numerous tries, the calf proved to be just as precocious as Jenny

Same story, feet and head presenting, but no inclination to go further, so the vet was summoned.

After numerous tries, the calf proved to be just as precocious as Jenny and neither coaxing nor threat could tug him out so a caesarean was called for.

And that’s when the fun started.

Now Jenny can’t talk but she made her grievances known to everyone in the vicinity with her back feet and luckily for the vet he has quick reflexes that could avoid her short legs.

Eventually, we lost patience and hobbled her but that didn’t stop her from continuing at every opportunity so it must have been akin to doing a section on one of those Buckaroo board games which could let fly at any moment.

You can’t beat both good neighbours and an efficient veterinary practice when time is of the essence

But perseverance won out and a large bull was hoisted out the side door by vet Brian and neighbour Liam who dropped all to come help out when he got a call.

You can’t beat both good neighbours and an efficient veterinary practice when time is of the essence. Though in this case we knew something was wrong fairly quickly.

Most animals like doing the same things the same way and when they change their behaviour there’s nearly always a reason for it, visible or not.

An early call to a vet usually has a better outcome than one made too late and it always gladdens the heart to see both cow and calf thriving after a hectic delivery.