Katie Van Slyke Tags Two New Bull Calves After a Baby Boom — One Early Newborn Weighs Just 52 Pounds
Katie Van Slyke’s calving season is moving so quickly that even the newborn-care routine is becoming a race to keep up.
After welcoming several calves in a short period of time, Katie headed back into the pasture to finish weighing, tagging and protecting the newest arrivals.
The first baby on the list was a little bull calf born early.
Katie initially guessed that he might weigh around 65 pounds.
The scale told a very different story.
Just 52 pounds.
He was considerably smaller than Katie expected, but the little bull was ready for his ear tag and the next important step: fly spray.
And before the work was finished, Katie had another newborn bull calf to check — this one weighing a much more substantial 73 pounds.
By the end of the update, every calf that had been born so far had officially been tagged.
Katie’s only request?
Maybe the cows could give everyone until tomorrow before producing another baby.
Baby No. 1 Was Smaller Than Katie Expected
Katie started with the bull calf who had been born the previous day.
She noted that he had arrived early and immediately commented on how tiny he looked.
His mother wasn’t especially pleased with Katie and the others handling her newborn, which was understandable considering how recently he had arrived.
Still, the calf needed his routine newborn care.
Before tagging him, Katie wanted to know his weight.
She made her prediction.
About 65 pounds.
Then the number appeared.
52 pounds.
Katie immediately acknowledged that he wasn’t a very big boy at all.
For an early calf, his small size wasn’t exactly shocking, but the weight highlighted just how petite the newborn really was.
Time for His First “Jewelry”
Once the little bull had been weighed, Katie moved on to his ear tag.
She jokingly referred to the tag as his new “jewelry.”
The calf wasn’t thrilled about the process, and neither was his mother.
Katie reassured mama that her baby would be returned quickly.
The handling was brief, but tagging gives Katie a way to identify calves as the pasture becomes increasingly crowded with newborns.
That matters even more during a calving season when multiple babies are arriving within the same day.
Before long, individual markings can become difficult to track at a glance.
An ear tag helps keep every calf connected to the correct records.
Fly Spray Was an Important Part of the Routine
The ear tag wasn’t the final step for the 52-pound calf.
Katie also wanted to apply fly spray.
His mother had apparently not been very enthusiastic about allowing that the day before, but Katie didn’t want to skip it.
She explained why.
The calf had begun producing the normal newborn manure around his hindquarters, which can attract flies.
Katie was particularly concerned about flies laying eggs in the calf’s hair and around soiled areas.
She described the potential consequences as extremely unpleasant, with larvae capable of damaging the flesh if the situation progresses.
That is why she concentrated the fly spray around the calf’s rear and other areas where flies might become a problem.
For Katie, it was one more small step intended to protect a newborn that had already arrived ahead of schedule.
Mama Was Ready to Have Her Baby Back
As soon as the weighing, tagging and fly spraying were finished, Katie made sure the calf was returned to his mother.
Mama had been watching closely the entire time.
Katie repeatedly reassured her that nobody was trying to hurt or take the baby.
Once he was back with her, the cow could settle down again.
And with that, baby boy No. 1 was officially finished.
But Katie wasn’t done.
There was another newborn bull calf waiting.
The Assisted-Delivery Heifer Was Doing Well
Before moving on to the next bull, Katie gave a quick update on the little heifer who had required assistance during her delivery the previous day.
That calf had already been tagged.
More importantly, Katie said she was eating and doing well.
The plan was to keep her and her mother up for the weekend for continued observation.
Katie expected that they could probably be returned to the larger pasture around Monday if everything continued going normally.
After the more difficult delivery, seeing the heifer settled and nursing was an encouraging update.
It also meant Katie could turn her attention to the newest baby born that morning.
Another Bull Calf Arrived
The next calf was also a boy.
He had been born that morning, adding yet another baby to the rapidly growing calf crop.
His mother was a little more spirited about the handling process, so the team carefully scooped the newborn up to complete his newborn checks.
Then came another weight prediction.
This calf was noticeably larger than the first.
The scale confirmed it.
73 pounds.
That put him more than 20 pounds heavier than the little 52-pound early calf Katie had just handled.
Katie seemed pleased with the number.
“Undercooked” — But Still Good-Sized Babies
Katie jokingly described the calves as being a little “undercooked” because so many had been arriving earlier than expected.
Still, the 73-pound newborn was a good size.
Katie also pointed out that a calf doesn’t necessarily need to be enormous.
A baby that becomes too large can make delivery much more difficult for the mother.
So while 73 pounds was significantly more than the first calf’s weight, Katie seemed satisfied with it.
The calf then received his ear tag just like the others.
His mother briefly reminded everyone that she was keeping a close eye on the process.
But soon the little bull was ready to go back to her.
This New Calf Has a Familiar Family Connection
Katie then revealed an interesting connection involving the 73-pound bull calf.
His mother’s baby from the previous year was Ninja.
Followers may remember Ninja for his noticeably large ears.
Katie explained that Ninja is the new calf’s full brother.
That gives longtime followers a fun reference point for watching how the newest baby develops.
Will he resemble Ninja?
Will he inherit those memorable ears?
Will his personality be similar?
Those answers will come with time.
For now, he is simply another healthy newborn joining a pasture that is becoming increasingly crowded with babies.
The Newborn Tried to Follow Katie Instead of Mama
One of the funniest moments happened after the handling was complete.
Instead of immediately staying with his mother, the little bull seemed interested in following Katie and the others.
Katie quickly encouraged him to turn around.
His mama was right there.
But the newborn apparently felt that a bond had been formed during the brief weighing and tagging session.
Katie joked that while she would love to be his mama, he really needed to stay with the actual cow who could feed him.
It was a sweet moment, especially given how quickly newborn calves can sometimes become curious about the humans handling them.
A Pasture Full of Babies
By the time Katie looked around, the change in the pasture was impossible to miss.
There were babies everywhere.
What had recently been a pasture full of expecting cows was quickly becoming a nursery.
Calf after calf had arrived.
Some were heifers.
Some were bulls.
Some came easily.
One required assistance.
Several appeared earlier than Katie expected.
But with each birth came the same set of jobs.
Check mama.
Check baby.
Make sure the newborn is eating.
Weigh.
Tag.
Protect against flies.
And then repeat the process for the next calf.
Every Baby Was Finally Tagged
Katie ended this round of newborn care with an important milestone.
Every calf that had been born up to that point was now tagged. 05092.txtTXT
That might sound like a small accomplishment, but during a sudden wave of births, staying caught up matters.
Katie had dealt with several newborns in an extremely short period.
Now their identification was complete.
The early 52-pound bull calf had his tag.
The 73-pound bull had his.
The heifer from the assisted delivery had already been tagged.
And the other recent arrivals had been taken care of as well.
For at least a moment, Katie was officially caught up.
The 52-Pound Calf Was the Little Guy of the Day
Among the two bulls featured in this update, the size difference was striking.
The first weighed only 52 pounds.
The second came in at 73 pounds.
That’s a 21-pound difference between two very young calves.
But Katie wasn’t comparing them as though one was better than the other.
Each had its own circumstances.
The smaller calf had arrived early.
The larger bull was still part of the season’s pattern of babies arriving sooner than expected, but he came into the world at a healthy-looking size.
The priority was that both babies were up, cared for and reunited with their mothers after handling.
Early Calves Have Katie Paying Extra Attention
The pattern of early births is clearly influencing how closely Katie is monitoring the herd.
In previous updates, one calf arrived approximately three weeks early.
Other cows have also delivered sooner than anticipated.
That means Katie can’t simply rely on estimated dates and assume she has plenty of time.
The cows are setting their own schedule.
And every surprise arrival brings another round of newborn checks.
This latest tagging session shows the less dramatic but equally important side of calving season.
Not every update revolves around the actual birth.
Much of the work happens afterward.
Newborn Care Doesn’t End Once the Calf Is Standing
A calf being born successfully is only the beginning.
Katie continues checking whether each baby is eating.
She watches the mothers.
She weighs the calves.
She tags them.
And in the current hot, fly-heavy conditions, she is paying particular attention to keeping flies away from vulnerable newborns.
The assisted-delivery heifer remained under observation even though she was already nursing and appeared to be doing well.
That ongoing attention is part of making sure a positive birth remains a positive outcome.
Another Successful Morning in the Pasture
Despite the busy schedule, the update was overwhelmingly positive.
The tiny bull calf was successfully tagged and returned to mama.
The pulled heifer was eating and doing well.
The newest 73-pound bull calf was tagged.
And his mother was there waiting for him afterward.
Katie even had enough time to joke with the baby when he briefly seemed more interested in following the humans than returning to the cow.
Those small moments are what make a busy calving season memorable.
Can They Make It One Day Without Another Baby?
Katie closed with a question that has become increasingly difficult to answer.
Could they make it until tomorrow without another calf arriving?
Considering the pace of recent births, that isn’t guaranteed.
Katie began this update saying the previous bull calf still needed to be tagged because three more babies had already arrived after him.
That single detail says plenty about how quickly things are moving.
The pasture is filling up.
The tags are multiplying.
The moms are busy.
And Katie is barely completing one round of newborn care before another calf appears.
For now, though, everyone is caught up.
Every newborn has been tagged.
The little 52-pound early bull is back with his mama.
The 73-pound newcomer has officially joined the group.
And the heifer who needed help entering the world is eating and continuing to do well.
Now Katie just needs the cows to give her one quiet night before the next baby decides it’s time to arrive. 🐮❤️ 05092.txtTXT
