The beautiful DCC cow Jam Packed gave birth to several calves in her young life including Drop Box, Real Jam and Full Pack. Jam Packed was ITLA International Champion Non Halter, and 2017 Horn Showcase Champion, now well over 90″ T2T.

Full Pack, age 18 months, was shown by Kara Dickinson at the 2017 ITLA Championship and won Champion Jr Heifer. In this photo she was well along pregnant to the promising young Jet Black son, Jet Lag.

In the Spring of 2018 Full Pack was growing a large mid-section. New things were going to happen in the life of this special age 2 heifer. She has never been a mother before.

A beautiful Jet Lag heifer was born, yet only lived a few normal days until something horribly unknown happened. When I checked pastures this innocent, beautiful heifer had her right front leg flopping out in a 45 degree angle with a crunching sound as she tried to hop along and keep up with her mother. Her leg was cleanly broken apart.

The good vet, Dr. Harold Kemp, with his professional-experienced hands, tenderly-moved the broken leg around and set it into the correct position.

A special type cast was constructed to hold the leg in the correct placement while she takes a long induced nap.

A lot of helping hands made it all fit perfect. She never felt a thing as she slept.

Everything was placed right where it was supposed to be, she wakes up. Now to control her activity so she takes it easy for slow-solid healing. She is placed in a clean stall and her loving mother can spend quality time with her several times every day.

A different cast was changed to fit this growing heifer. She still isn’t allowed to run
and play like the other calves. She wants to be a calf running over the DCC hills.

Today, here she is, one month later. She had her cast removed and is walking the last few days on the corrected problem leg. Her leg is not strong. The tendons are not stretched the correct length. Yet, she is up and going. Unfortunately no one can tell her to be careful. She will remain in the stall for another week or so then hope, hope – all goes well. Every red and white spotted life matters. The goal is to save every young life at DCC. Come say hello to her at the 51 Annual DCC Customer Appreciation day on September 29 — more on that next week.