Spring is in the Air!!

Although we are only mid way through March, the recent spell of mild weather makes it feel like winter is passed and spring is just round the corner.

Spring is a busy time at the surgery. The lambing season runs from December through until May but peaks in mid March. Many of the cattle in the area are dairy cows which calve throughout the year to maintain a steady production of milk but many beef cattle calve in the spring so that the calves can take advantage of the grass during the summer months. Lambings and calvings can take place at any time during the day but they often occur in the early morning or in the evening and so we can often be very busy when we are on call. At this time of the year, we can often be called on to perform two or three Caesarian sections per day on cattle. Since two vets are required to do a Caesarian and they usually take about two hours to perform, we often find that we need to constantly rethink our staffing levels as the day progresses. At Donaldsons Vets, we have fifteen Vets and so we have the capacity to absorb the emergency calls more easily than a Practice who only have a couple of Vets.

Despite being an exhausting time of year, there is nothing better than an early morning call to a calving or lambing on a bright, fresh spring morning. The sense of satisfaction when the lamb or calf takes it’s first breath is a thrill that will never leave me and reminds me why I chose my profession.