A
Anonymous
HI all, Just wanted to update you on my calf who so many of you kindly offered advice on. (I'm the dumb city gal - turned country who's DH brought home the calf surprise 2 weeks ago or so.) T-bone, now renamed Cowboy, is doing SO much better! I was so afraid I was going to lose him, but am thrilled to report that he is hip-hopkickin around the yard now with joy. (Gotta love those cow pirouettes!) We definately have his scours under control--no added meds were necessary as his cultures came back good), he hungrily devours his bottles (I've added another half-gallon to each of his two feeds to help him get some weight on), and I've seen him nibbling the fresh hay and the grass from the yard on several occations. He does appear to be chewing cud, so perhaps his rumen is beginning to function? ONly problem, if it 's a problem, is that I still have to force-feed the calf-starter feed into him. (I can get him to sort of suck it out of my hand if I tip my hand up when he goes to suck my fingers.) I keep leaving it out free-choice though, and hope he'll eventually decide to do it for himself. I know this fellow is supposed to be grown for sale, but I'm also starting to get really attached to the booger! He's hysterically funny! He and Mercy, my nigerian dwarf goat, have become pals, and play chase around the yard, and "herd" the chickens that share the yard with them! And at 5 am, bright and early (too early for this city girl) he's on the back deck bawling for his bottle and knocking on the door! And THEN, when I walk out the door, he's the epitome of Cow-in-love. He prances and dances and runs circles around me wanting attention--and when he gets it (as he always does) he'll lean his whole little body into mine and make funny happy-grunting noises. Tonight here in NC, it's FINALLY raining! (We've been in the middle of the worst draught in many years.) This may be the first rain Cowboy has ever seen--and he is NOT a happy cow! When the thunder started, he jumped a bit, looked up at the sky and bawled. Then, I thought maybe instinct was taking over when he lay down in the grass as it began to sprinkle. I gave him too much credit. As soon as it began to pour, my poor calf was up like a shot, running to the deck (and the kitchen door) bawling for me to come save him from whomever just turned the hose on him. When that didn't work, he then stepped off the deck and went up on his hind legs (like my goat!) and butted his head right through my kitchen window screen and bawled at me! I tried shooing him toward the small barn immediately in back of our home, but he was so pathetic, I wound up running out in the middle of the storm to lead him into the barn where it was dry. After toweling him off, we had a game of circle-round-mommy-and-kick-up-your-heels before I started to head back to the house before dinner burned. You'd THINK he'd stay where he was nice and dry and they straw is deep, right? Not. Silly boy was back bawling at the backdoor 5 minutes later-soaking wet again, and one very unhappy boy. OK, JUST THIS TIME I let him come in the kitchen until the rain let up and the storm broke. He was afraid of the thunder, you understand. I am SUCH a sucker. I know, all you seasoned cattle folks are rolling on the floor laughing at this newbie. But I ask you, HOW can you say no to those brown eyes???? This really is NOT a normal house. Blessings, Jesse
[email protected]
[email protected]
