holy cow.

I finally did it!  Over the last several months I have helped Dad pull numerous calves and I'm a really good assistant but I had been hesitant to take the lead.  This position includes attaching the chains to the calf's foot which really doesn't sound that bad but this typically includes sticking your hand into the birth canal.  I literally had my arm in the cow up to my elbow to hook the chains on each foot.  While you're in there you can feel the calf and each contraction tightens up around your hand - wowzers!  It was so exhilarating! 

It was a hard pull and the calf was huge - he weighed about 100 pounds!  We were really worried about him because he had a difficult time breathing at first but after a night in the heat room he seems to be on the mend.  He is having a difficult time standing up - his front feet are sore from the pull.  This afternoon I'm trying to rig a harness we can use to hold him and support some of his weight as he learns to stand and walk.  I'll try to post pictures of my creation!