Herd's Unexpected Response to Cow During Labor Leaves Internet in Hysterics

As if delivering a calf wasn't difficult enough, this poor cow had to endure her labor with the rest of the herd watching every second unfold, and the internet can't get enough.

In a video shared on TikTok on July 30 by the herd's owner (@mrstoombs), the pregnant cow could be seen laying in the barn. She wasn't alone because she was joined by her entire herd, who peered their heads over the gate. Layered over the viral video, the caption read: "the whole fam wants in the room."

While the herd's anticipation could be mistaken for care for the struggling heifer, the herd's owner suggested that they were waiting to be let back in so they could eat again. Alongside the viral video, @mrstoombs wrote: "snacks are life...labor or not." If the heifer was hoping for privacy, she didn't get any of that from her herd, and the video has gone on to be viewed more than 431,000 times and received over 81,000 likes.

A cow's labor, known as calving, is divided into three stages, starting with the early behavioral changes, such as discomfort and restlessness as the cervix dilates. Iowa State University says stage one will usually last between two and six hours; however, for more difficult births, it can go on for up to 12 hours.

Stage two is the delivery of the calf, which can take up to four hours, but typically occurs in less than an hour. Once the calf has been safely delivered, the cow will then pass the placenta shortly after.

The farm owner @mrstoombs regularly shares videos of her many cows, from the young calves getting the zoomies, to the older cows wanting to be fussed like a dog.

TikTok users have certainly loved seeing the daily antics that the herd gets up to, with many praising how much support they offer each other, especially during labor.

Among the 200-plus comments on the video, one person wrote: "Girl got better support in labor than some humans I know."

Another comment reads: "all the aunties waiting patiently for the new arrival."

"She had a whole support system behind her," posted another bemused TikTok user.

Newsweek reached out to @mrstoombs via TikTok for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.

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