 As winter comes to an end and spring begins to make its appearance, mother cows begin to give birth. This is an exciting time for ranchers because calves are the lifeblood to their existence. In many areas of Wyoming at this time, calves can be seen frolicking with their moms. Cows typically are bred in June or July and with the nine month gestation period similar to humans, a March or April calf is born. To identify a cow in labor, a rancher might look for a characteristic kink in the tail, cows off by themselves or mucus excretions. Labor typically lasts less than an hour. Cows that experience longer labor may have complications due to a backwards calf or calf with deformities. In this case, the rancher may have to assist the cow or colovet to perform a caesarean section. Once the calf is born, the mama licks him clean. The calf should be up in nursing within 10 or 15 minutes. The first milk the calf drinks is called colostrum and contains extra nourishment that enables the calf to become strong and healthy. Many times the rancher will use a near tag to identify the calf and its mother, which is put in shortly after birth. With the good start, the calf will grow to no longer need its mom and be weaned after about 6 months. At this time, it's either sold or kept in the herd to start the next generation. From the University of Wyoming Extension, I'm Mae Smith, Exploring the Nature of Wyoming.