I should have known it wasn't going to be a normal day. I should have known being early to get out the door on a Wednesday was odd. I should have known that something big was coming. But alas, I have three kids and ADD, so basically we just jumped in the car, and were riding the high. About half way down our little stretch of drive, I peered over to the pasture, just to take a quick glance for new babies. Jason typically asked that we take a look since he leaves before it's light out. Sure enough, I see a sweet new baby calf standing in the middle of the lot. The kids are excited and since we were ahead of schedule, we pulled in to peek at new baby & momma.
I should mention here that it had been in the 70's for like a solid week, but this particular morning it was in the low 30's, and COLD. We walked out, and as we got closer one of the all black cows was checking out the calf, but none too close. When we came around the corner, she bolted. I panned the lot, and saw another cow & new baby, and Momma was tending the baby, while this still wet, not cleaned up calf was shivering and miserable looking out in the lot. I called Jason, no answer. I called again and when he answered, I was certain we had a situation where Momma had twins, but was only claiming one. Surely -- there were no other Momma's around, it had to be, but this calf, she looked awful. I hated to leave her, but Jason had called Seth to come down to check her out, and I needed to get the kids to school. So, instead of being early, I dumped them off at our normal 7:58, flew to Pam's to drop Keaton, and came back to the house to meet Seth. I gathered up some towels, and Seth came along and scooped her up and we hauled her to the barn. None of the momma's even cared Seth was carrying her. Red flag number 2. We got her fairly cleaned up, and I headed off for work. Jason had in the mean time called the vet, and they would be up to check her. As Seth & I were leaving, he checked the herd one more time. Just as we rounded the corner, he saw Momma #46 with after birth hanging out of her backside, chasing around one of the new bull calves from the week earlier. She was abandoned babies momma, and she was very confused.
I couldn't shake the notion that had we not peered into the lot that morning, had we not stopped and checked -- she probably would have died. Froze to death, most likely. But she didn't -- she was in the barn, wrapped in towels and under a heat lamp. In the back of my mind, I knew the kids would be excited if she was a bottle calf. They love the movie Grand Champion, about a boy who raises a bottle calf to be the next Grand Champion. Colton's dreams would be made of things like this. Jason knew what I was thinking and assured me that this calf was NOT Hokey Pokey and that bottle babies are a LOT of work. (As if I hadn't raised three children to know that breast & bottle babies are a TON of work...).
The day was full of texts & pictures & adventures. Seth & Jenna and Jacob tried to get 46 into the barn with the new baby -- perhaps if we paired them, she might claim her new babe. The Mom heart in Jenna and I was breaking for this poor baby cow. 46 went into the barn, but she was NOT nice to the baby. They aborted that mission, and tried a few different things.
In the mean time, I took Emmalyn to a softball clinic at Purdue. On the way home, the kids and I grabbed McDonald's, and headed straight back out to the barn -- all 4 of us anxious to see how this new calf was doing. I didn't like her not having a name, so I picked Daisy, and sure enough -- it's stuck. When we arrived with bountiful cheeseburgers, we found 46 in the head chute, Jacob trying to milk her, Rod Hall giving us instructions and Seth & Jen's gang with an addition 20 some cheeseburgers! HA Great minds think alike, I guess. To say we all fell in love with Daisy is probably an understatement -- how do you not love a sweet new baby calf? Seth & Jason did what they had to do to hold out -- they weren't going to fall in love. She might die yet. We hadn't made it through the night. She won't take a bottle. These kids will be heartbroken. Maybe -- but this is a great life lesson!
After trying again to pair 46 with the baby, and penning them up together over night -- we all went home/back to the house. Jason and I creeped out to check to make sure Daisy was still alive, and she was -- but Momma was keeping her distance. By morning, the fence was bent, and the 46 had bailed, but Daisy was alive, and doing okay. It was official -- we had a bottle baby on our hands.
I'd say it's worked out -- Daisy is growing well and growing on the boys as well (though they will never admit that). She's been a great calf, and we all hope and pray she continues to thrive and will be able to join the herd again some day. It's been a great lesson in responsibility for the kids, and a great bonding experience for us with some late evenings/early mornings in the barn. Will Daisy be the next Hokey Pokey? The verdict is still out on that one....
She's also kind of a hot attraction -- the Altman's came to visit, and I'd say it's safe to say Emery Jean could follow in her Momma's footsteps! :)
I should mention here that it had been in the 70's for like a solid week, but this particular morning it was in the low 30's, and COLD. We walked out, and as we got closer one of the all black cows was checking out the calf, but none too close. When we came around the corner, she bolted. I panned the lot, and saw another cow & new baby, and Momma was tending the baby, while this still wet, not cleaned up calf was shivering and miserable looking out in the lot. I called Jason, no answer. I called again and when he answered, I was certain we had a situation where Momma had twins, but was only claiming one. Surely -- there were no other Momma's around, it had to be, but this calf, she looked awful. I hated to leave her, but Jason had called Seth to come down to check her out, and I needed to get the kids to school. So, instead of being early, I dumped them off at our normal 7:58, flew to Pam's to drop Keaton, and came back to the house to meet Seth. I gathered up some towels, and Seth came along and scooped her up and we hauled her to the barn. None of the momma's even cared Seth was carrying her. Red flag number 2. We got her fairly cleaned up, and I headed off for work. Jason had in the mean time called the vet, and they would be up to check her. As Seth & I were leaving, he checked the herd one more time. Just as we rounded the corner, he saw Momma #46 with after birth hanging out of her backside, chasing around one of the new bull calves from the week earlier. She was abandoned babies momma, and she was very confused.
I couldn't shake the notion that had we not peered into the lot that morning, had we not stopped and checked -- she probably would have died. Froze to death, most likely. But she didn't -- she was in the barn, wrapped in towels and under a heat lamp. In the back of my mind, I knew the kids would be excited if she was a bottle calf. They love the movie Grand Champion, about a boy who raises a bottle calf to be the next Grand Champion. Colton's dreams would be made of things like this. Jason knew what I was thinking and assured me that this calf was NOT Hokey Pokey and that bottle babies are a LOT of work. (As if I hadn't raised three children to know that breast & bottle babies are a TON of work...).
The day was full of texts & pictures & adventures. Seth & Jenna and Jacob tried to get 46 into the barn with the new baby -- perhaps if we paired them, she might claim her new babe. The Mom heart in Jenna and I was breaking for this poor baby cow. 46 went into the barn, but she was NOT nice to the baby. They aborted that mission, and tried a few different things.
In the mean time, I took Emmalyn to a softball clinic at Purdue. On the way home, the kids and I grabbed McDonald's, and headed straight back out to the barn -- all 4 of us anxious to see how this new calf was doing. I didn't like her not having a name, so I picked Daisy, and sure enough -- it's stuck. When we arrived with bountiful cheeseburgers, we found 46 in the head chute, Jacob trying to milk her, Rod Hall giving us instructions and Seth & Jen's gang with an addition 20 some cheeseburgers! HA Great minds think alike, I guess. To say we all fell in love with Daisy is probably an understatement -- how do you not love a sweet new baby calf? Seth & Jason did what they had to do to hold out -- they weren't going to fall in love. She might die yet. We hadn't made it through the night. She won't take a bottle. These kids will be heartbroken. Maybe -- but this is a great life lesson!
I'd say it's worked out -- Daisy is growing well and growing on the boys as well (though they will never admit that). She's been a great calf, and we all hope and pray she continues to thrive and will be able to join the herd again some day. It's been a great lesson in responsibility for the kids, and a great bonding experience for us with some late evenings/early mornings in the barn. Will Daisy be the next Hokey Pokey? The verdict is still out on that one....
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