Four
Keith
I walked back over to the chute where Asa stood comforting the cow that was about to get lifted so I could trim her hooves.
“She’s been favoring that back foot. I’m not sure if she’s stepped on something or just what happened,” he said, as Bart walked closer.
“You’ll want to see this. The cows need their hoofs to be trimmed regularly.
I know you’d think they wear them down, but they don’t, and they also tend to pick up any tiny piece of metal in the pasture in those hooves. That’s where Keith comes in.”
After making sure the belly belt was under her, I pressed the lever that lifted her enough for me to then attach the leg lift to bring her foot back for me to work on. “Does she like that?” Bart asked, and by the tightness in his voice it was obvious he was worried.
“She doesn’t love it, but she appreciates it afterward,” Asa said. “This makes it much easier for the trimmer, but it also makes it a lot less stressful for the cow.”
I sprayed her hoof and looked for anything obvious. “There’s some bruising here, it looks like she’s got a crack from something,” I said and got out the grinder.
“You’re going to use that on her foot?” Bart asked and clutched his throat.
“Her hoof, each side is called a claw. It’s similar to a horn, she can’t feel it when I work on it unless I go too deep,” I explained.
“Believe me, if I tried to do it by hand it would take me much longer.” I quickly shaved off a few layers and rounded off the ends that had grown past where they should be.
As soon as the white of the clean hoof shone, it was obvious. “Look at that.”
“What is it?” Bart asked as he leaned in closer to look.
“She’s picked up some rocks,” I said and took out my hoof knife to shave down even more in the discolored area. After a slice more some liquid oozed out, and I knew the moment it hit Bart’s nose.
“Oh my god, what is that?” he asked and stepped back while pinching his nose.
“That’s why she’s been limping,” Asa said and leaned in for a better look. “Is it anything besides rocks?”
I widened the area and picked at the small stones there.
“Looks like it’s just rocks. She probably had one work its way in, and it left an opening for more to follow.
” I sprayed disinfectant cleanser on the area until it was all clean.
After making sure there was nothing wrong with the other claw, I took out the adhesive.
“What’s that?” Bart asked. I mean at least he was curious enough to ask, and he hadn’t run when he’d smelled the puss pocket.
“Adhesive. I’m going to glue a block on this claw, so she won’t put as much pressure on the other one.
Then Asa will keep an eye on it and let me know if I need to come back.
Otherwise by the time the block falls off she should be fine.
” He watched as I did just that before pouring more than enough salicylic acid and wrapping the wound.
“Salicylic acid, it’ll keep it from getting infected and promote healing. ”
Once I’d finished the other three hooves, I hit the lever to lower her to the ground and watched as she walked off without limping.
“That’s amazing,” Bart said before Asa clapped him on the back.
“You might have more country in you than you thought. Now, I talked to your dad earlier and he’s fine with you staying the whole week if, and I hope it does, it works for you,” Asa said and I tried to ignore their conversation while guiding the next cow into the chute.
Asa led Bart out of the barn and Noah snuck over to talk to me. “Hey, Keith, what do you think that’s all about?” he asked and threw his thumb over his shoulder in the direction they’d just walked.
“Asa’s getting up there but he’s not ready to give up the dairy. He loves it here,” I said.
Noah looked down at the ground before he spoke; he was a few years younger than me, but he’d worked here since he graduated high school.
His family lived in town, and this was his chance of life in the country and he embraced it.
“I hope he doesn’t sell. I can’t imagine anyone else caring for the girls the way he does, and this farm means a lot to him. ”
“Don’t worry, I think his nephew is more suited to running the dairy than he thinks he is. He might not be from here, but he’s curious. Sometimes that’s enough to build on. At least he’s willing to try.”
“Dude, he was so lucky he got Florence for his first time trying to milk. He was bound and determined to stick the milker on anything that it would attach to,” Noah said making us both grin.
“He seems nice enough. Maybe just a little high strung,” I said as I worked.
“I guess we shouldn’t tell him about the sanctuary,” Noah said. The land next to the dairy butted up to a piece of property owned by one of Foggy Basin’s firemen and he owned a shitload of reptiles that had everyone in town speculating on exactly what he had.
“You do know there’s nothing dangerous there, right?”
“I know, but he doesn’t and Asa is fond of telling everyone in town how he sees an alligator or giant snake over there any time someone brings it up,” Noah said.
“Just be careful when you’re on the north side of the farm,” Asa was saying as he and Bart walked back inside the barn.
“Why?” Bart asked.
“There’s a guy who owns a reptile farm. Lots of gators and snakes over there,” Asa said and winked at me as he walked by.
“Gators and snakes? In Foggy Basin?” Bart asked, his eyes wide.
“Why not, we’ve got everything else here,” Asa said, and kept walking through the other side while Bart stood there a moment before following him.
“Are you kidding right now? Because I can’t tell, and Dad said you were always playing jokes on him. Is this a joke?” Bart said as his voice trailed off.
“Asa’s kinda evil,” Noah said as his eyes stayed where they’d just left.
“Only a little,” I said before the two of us got back to work.