Lazy, Crazy and Cold

So, the surviving twin that R was trying to feed was kind of lazy and needed help for a few days.  We put the mother in the head gate a couple of times so that we were sure it was getting to eat.  The calf had trouble getting the teat in its mouth, but once we helped it it did just fine.  R was ultimately successful in getting a bottle down it, too, and it eventually figured it out.

The crazy cow that wanted to chase us calmed down a bit but not completely.  M thought we should bring the 4-wheeler when we tried to move her and her calf so we’d “have a place to run to”.  Comforting.  Turns out that her bark was much worse than her bite.  She didn’t make a move toward us, just bellered the whole way and was just a pain. We think her calf last year was killed by coyotes so she may be overly protective.  We don’t remember her being that way last year.

We had snow, wind and cold again on Thursday night—not good calving weather at all!  R checked the cow pasture around midnight and didn’t see anything.  When M got there just before daybreak he found one dead, frozen calf, another that was pretty cold and a newer one.  He got the live ones to the barn and put the coldest one in the warmer while he came home for breakfast and while we were feeding.  It seemed to be okay but with swollen ears and feet.

Later we brought in the one with the dead calf so she was close in case another calf needed a mama.  Little did we know that later that afternoon we’d have another set of twins.  That mother wanted nothing to do with two babies so one appeared abandoned.  She did not care at all when we loaded it into the sled and took it to the barn.  We put the cow in the head gate and let the calf nurse and we thought we were pretty lucky as all seemed to be going well.  However, this morning R said he had seen the cow kicking at and butting the calf on the cow cam.  We put the cow back in the head gate this morning and the calf had a good breakfast.  Hopefully, they bond well and soon.

The first mama with an adopted baby latched on really well and is fiercely protective of her “miracle” baby, determined not to lose another one, I suppose.

We’ve been getting our exercise walking out into the cow pasture and walking pairs back.  Yesterday we went to bring in a pair and saw a cow ready to calve.  It was still snowing and cold so M said he’d get the pair if I would try to get her to the barn.  We were going along just fine until she made a turn around a tree (the only tree) and I couldn’t get across the bog fast enough to cut her off.  Smart cows, that’s the second one that’s done that to me.  M was able to come at her from the other direction, and we finally got her in.  If they only knew we were trying to help!

Gotta love the 2-3” of snow that covers up the ruts and ice.  I was trying to peek through a fence to see how a cow was progressing and fell on a sheet of ice.  Tweaked my shoulder and smashed my face into another chunk of ice.  Didn’t leave a mark, but I feel the shoulder if I move just right—or wrong, I guess.

It warmed up considerably today so the snow is pretty much gone.  I hope we’re done with that and the warmer temps continue.  We let the pairs out into another small pasture so they are less confined.  The calves seemed to enjoy that, and we enjoyed watching them run and buck.  Spring is coming—it’s got to be!