Cow Stories

OK, this isn't either of the calves I mention below. This is a picture from last summer. The calf is named Patches, and I was very happy the other day when I found her up in the heifer barn. And I swear she recognized me, too.

I decided it last summer, and I believe it true to this day: some of the cows I work with are brattier than most two-year-olds that I know. Seriously. Today at the barn, I was walking out from the calf barn, and there was a cow loose that was definitely not supposed to be. Number 393. Madison. She slipped out of her collar and ducked under the chain gates and wandered down to the other end of the barn...no less than three times. Then when we found her and tried to lead her back to her stall, she'd plant her feet and not budge until at least two of us were there to push and pull and escort her back. I am so tired tonight from trying to push and pull a 2,000 pound bovine from one end of the barn to the other. She was a brat today. Checked me into the wall too. Ow.
On a brighter note, yesterday two calves were born. One was a bull calf, which means he's going to be going somewhere else and doesn't get a name from us, but the other was a girl, who some clever person named Toystory. I had the pleasure today of watching her try to teeter around on legs that weren't quite used to walking (which meant they occasionally all skittered out from under her), and of trying to teach her to drink milk from a bucket. This was done by putting a little milk on my fingers for her to suck on, and then guiding her head toward the bucket. I'm not sure how well it worked, given that the effort seemed to wear her out so she went and took a nap afterward, but maybe. And either way, it was fun and adorable. I also love Toystory's neighbor in the next stall, Miley. Supposedly she was originally to be named Haley, but someone decided to change the name to Miley, presumably after Miley Cyrus. She was born a couple of weeks ago, and she's very bouncy, energetic and affectionate. She's one of the ones who always tries to lick me all over and nuzzles my leg when I go in to shovel out her stall. Very cute.