calves – Living de Good Life

She’s Here! Introducing “Daisy”! I Love Calves!

“Daisy”, Mocha’s 6th calf born on 7/24/21

WAITING…

Waiting for the expected birth of calves always is difficult. And, it feels like we waited an eternity for the arrival of this precious little heifer! Due on July 22nd, the sixth calf of Mocha (and the sixth heifer), she finally made her arrival in the predawn hours of July 24th with a full moon illuminating the dark sky and the earth below!

As is my practice, at the first sign of the impending birth, I usually put the mama in the barn with fresh straw and clean water, with lots of hay, to ensure the new arrival has a fresh place to be born. I saw the first sign (mucus strand) of the impending birth of Mocha’s new calf on the morning of July 21. Although Mocha is usually uncannily “on time” with her deliveries, I didn’t want to take any chances that this calf might come early, so I put Mocha in the barn. Much to my disappointment, the 21st came and went with no calf. She really wanted to be back in the pasture with Jersey, so we put them in a pasture in the back near the barn so that in case her calf was born during the night, we wouldn’t have far to get them to the barn.

TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK!

On the morning of her due date, she was SLOWLY progressing, so I put her back in the barn for the day. I checked on her several times throughout the day…running errands and running back home to check on her several times!

The night of the 22nd, I set my alarm and checked on Mocha every couple of hours. STILL NOTHING! The day came and went with no baby! That night, again, I set multiple alarms and checked on Mocha every couple of hours, just feeling for sure that the calf would arrive in the wee hours. But, NOPE!

Duplicate the previous paragraph for the 23rd! Checking on her every couple of hours…still thinking the birth was imminent! The night of the 23rd was also a duplicate of the previous night. Alarms were set every couple of hours and I went out to the barn, half asleep, hoping to find her in full, active labor. But no! Each time I was disappointed.

More than a little bit discouraged, and totally exhausted, I hit “snooze” on that last alarm…just for a few more minutes. However, at 4:30 am, I threw on my clothes and made which seemed like my hundredth trip to the barn. But, my heart quickened as I got closer to the barn! I knew halfway there that she had made her arrival.

She’s Finally Here!

Mocha (and I guess other mama cows do too) has this “sweet lowing” sound she makes for her calf (read my first book My Name is Mocha). It is how she communicates love, care and instructions to her calf. I heard it before I was even halfway to the barn…and as I did, my steps quickened. I KNEW she was here!

And, yes! sure enough, there she was, standing by her mama with milk bubbles on her mouth indicating she had already had her first drink of the the nutritious colostrum. Newborn calves need about five percent of their body weight in their first six hours in order to get the necessary antibodies and nutrients to avoid scours and respiratory problems. This is one reason I typically leave mama and new calf in the barn for the first couple of days…to monitor milk intake and to verify first the first bowel movement (an indication of their gut health and that they are getting enough milk.

“Mama Time”

As with each previous calf, when Mocha feels the calf is stabilized, and all is well, she lets me know she is ready to have some time away from her calf…which means time in the pasture eating the fresh grass. She was ready for her “mama time” last night after chores. Daisy was contented and I led Mocha to the pasture.

She had her head down eating grass for nearly two hours. I kept an eye on her, knowing that she was finished and ready to return to her baby, she would come and stand by the gate. She did and I led her back to the barn.

Daisy was still in the same place, same position as she had been when Mocha left the barn, totally unconcerned that her mama was gone for awhile. This is another indication of a healthy calf. (We have had calves that literally mooed the entire time them moms were away from them.)

As Mocha reentered the barn, she spoke to Daisy with her sweet “lowing” voice and she must have told her to get up and have a drink…because Daisy did just that! Witnessing the instinct that the Creator gave these amazing animals to care and provide for their young is and amazing and wonderful gift!

Healthy Calf

Another sign of a healthy calf is that not only does she eat regularly, but she eats plenty when she eats. This morning, after I gave Mocha her “snack” consisting of oats, barley, molasses, etc. which is the routine before milking, Daisy decided to have her own breakfast. She went and lay down in her favorite spot in the corner of the stall, out of the way. I tied Mocha up to milk whatever was left and there wasn’t even one-half cup to be milked out! She is an efficient drinker…which gives her an excellent chance of staying healthy.

Calves — The Icing on the Cake

If you know me or if you’ve read my books https://dianeorrauthor.com/590-2/ you know how much I love my cows, and the other critters here on the farm…but to me, the calves are so sweet, they are just the icing on the cake! I love the hands on time I get with them in their first four months before they are weaned!

New Book?

I have been asked if Daisy will have her own book. My answer was “Yeah, probably!” Our last calf, Elsie, was included in the last book at the calves We Are Mocha’s Family. There are some special things about Daisy’s birth here on the farm: she is the TENTH calf to be born here; she is the first not to be either Jersey or Jersey/Angus mix (her breed is Jersey/Limousin, check out this link to see what her daddy may have looked like: https://www.thecattlesite.com/breeds/beef/39/limousin/.

I am eager to see what her personality is. So far, she reminds me of Hazel and of Herbie, who were both very contented and even-keeled! So watch for news. SUBSCRIBE to stay updated on lots of topics!

Cute “Calven” Chaos!

Fred (l) and Barney (r) arrive at de Good Life Farm.

They arrived in the back of a pick up, looking adorable and docile. These little guys have made history…they are the first calves not to be born here on the farm. Some of you might want to know that they are Jersey/Hereford cross. We think they are adorable.

We put their halters on them and then the lead ropes so that we would have some control over them.

We gave them some milk in a bucket to welcome them, which they eagerly lapped up very quickly. Fred (purple halter) decided to take advantage of his handler not paying complete attention and bolted away…he was caught but not before he had literally climbed through the electric fence into the pasture. This, of course, got Herbie and Elsie all excited!

He was caught and brought back to the milk in the bucket, which he happily helped Barney clean up. We then proceeded to properly introduce them to the pasture. Bless their hearts, they had not experienced an electric fence yet. We took them in on lead ropes and let Herbie and Elsie check them out. We showed them the hay and they seemed calm so we unhooked them from the lead ropes, exited the pasture and watched.

Herbie and Elsie followed Fred and Barney everywhere they went! If the calves ran, so did Herbie and Elsie.

Fred is definitely the one who seems to be destined to push the boundaries. Typically, with our other calves, we already know their personalities, since we’ve been with them and handled them from birth, and they know us and what to expect here on the farm. These new calves are strong little guys and they don’t know us and we don’t know them.

We expected they would test the boundaries…which they did…especially Fred. He got zapped and made that adorable sound that I have no idea how to spell. And then he proceeded to get zapped a few more times! Jeff seemed convinced they would be ok, so he headed off to do something else…I stood and watched and what did I see? Fred sailed right through the electric fence on the other side of where I was standing.

“feeling their oats” and enjoying the new space

I yelled “one’s out!” I ran to the barn to get the lead ropes and Jeff rolled under the fence to get over to the other side where he got through. He was free and who knew how far he would run before we could catch him, if we even COULD catch him? (Honestly, I had visions of when Snickers ran the entire pasture, crossed the road and nearly disappeared into the cornfield.)

I then proceeded to go around the pasture to head him off if he decided to head for the road. Oh my! I got all the way down the driveway, around to the other side of the pasture and up almost to where he was investigating. I was walking slowly so as not to scare him into running away…and what did he do?

HE CLIMBED BACK THROUGH THE FENCE!!! I stood there both shocked and amused! I think he realized his buddy wasn’t with him and evidently had no plans to follow. Now he had a reason to stay!

We left them alone while we milked and did chores. We have kept a watchful eye on them since and they definitely seem to be settling down. I went out before I headed to bed and they were all four (Herbie, Elsie, Fred and Barney) watching me, but the important thing is that they were all accounted for INSIDE the fence!

I will have to update you as time goes on so that you can know how they acclimate. I’d be fine with time passing without any chaotic surprises for awhile!

Now on to the next big event…finding a future wife for Odin. STAY TUNED! Oh, and speaking of Odin…the calves are just about the same size as he is! He wants to play with them so badly! There is usually something going on here at the farm!

WELCOME, Elsie!

Elsie, born 3:30-4 a.m., Tuesday morning, December 17, 2019

SHE IS SAFELY HERE and her name is Elsie. She is named after the Borden milk cow that was on the carton of milk that my grandpa used to bring home from the store! I always wanted a dairy cow named Elsie!

Mocha showed signs of early labor last Friday morning, so we prepared her stall with fresh straw, hay and water and brought her to the barn. Jersey wasn’t happy to be alone in the pasture and I totally get it! We separate Herbie around 5:00 a.m., which means Jersey was by herself all day until evening milking time. So, since Friday morning, I have made umpteen trips to the barn, averaging every 2-3 hours, checking on her progress, which was fairly slow. Four nights with little sleep brought back reminders of when my boys were babies. But, with all the waiting, she still arrived the day before she was due.

My son had to be up early this morning so rather than head to the barn when I had planned, I saw him out the door and then braved the icy weather. Each time I arrived in the barn, even before I could see into Mocha’s stall, I would assess whether her calf had arrived by whether she was laying down, which almost every time she was. However, this morning, she was standing up…making that sweet, low sound. I knew in an instant that her precious calf had arrived!

Mocha being the good mama she is, cleaning and drying Elsie

She was still very wet, so my best guess is that she arrived between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. Mocha diligently continued cleaning her up so her fur would dry. I ran back to the house to grab a towel to try to help her get dry and warm her up.

Elsie trying to stand up, but she isn’t quite strong enough.

She has tried to stand several times, but when i left the barn about 20 minutes ago, she still was too weak. Mocha stimulates her to stand up by licking her on her back. It will just take a little time for her to be strong enough. I am going to eat a quick breakfast, make my hubby’s breakfast and lunch and head back out. I am relieved that she is safely here…but now comes the watching to make sure she gets that rich, nutrient-dense colostrum so that she will get her energy and be protected against illness at her young age.

I will post more later…but just wanted to share with everyone who has been anticipating her arrival that SHE IS HERE!

can’t you just see her saying “Awww, c’mon, Mom!”

Also, I must apologize if there are grammar and spelling errors in this post. The lack of sleep is wearing heavily on me! But I just had to get the word out!

Laughter is Good Medicine at de Good Life Farm

My pretty girl, Mocha, eating lots to build up her energy for birthing!

I know my last couple of posts have been pretty heavy, but that is because life around here has been about heavy stuff…death, beefing up protection and trying to catch a cunning predator, etc. But, I thought I would share with you some of the joys of this morning.

First, I am pretty bleary-eyed due to the fact that Mocha began the early stages of labor on Friday. So, for the past two nights, I have set my alarm and dragged myself to the barn multiple times through the night to check on her. To date, no calf, but it’s only a matter of time! Her due date is actually Wednesday, but when I saw the beginning signs of labor, I thought she might deliver early.

Each time I go in there, I muck her stall so the baby has a soft, clean place to land and I love on Mocha. I love spending time with her during this phase because she is especially responsive to my loving. I rub her side, and this morning I talked to her calf as I was feeling her/his hoof and told him/her that I was so exited to meet him/her and that she/he has a sweet uncle who is eager to play with him/her. I hope he/she was listening! Feeling that little hoof move under my touch is just about one of the coolest things!

By the way, if it’s a little heifer, her name will be “Elsie”, after the Borden milk cow. My grandpa used to bring Borden milk home from the company store where he worked and I just loved the picture of that jersey cow. If the calf is a little bull calf, his name will be “McQueen” and that simply because we named Herbie, not after the VW Bug, but it is also the name of a famous car…so I thought I would continue the trend to this calf and name him “McQueen” after “Lightning McQueen”! So, we shall soon see which name applies!

Big boy Herbie has only a few days left to enjoy his mama’s milk.

The second laugh I had this morning was while was mucking Herbie’s stall and had his back to me, I was startled and might have let out a little yell when HE TRIED TO RIDE ME!!! That’s the first time he has tried that but Oh! my word!

Merlin and some of his girls enjoying being outside.

Thirdly, I was in the chicken coop feeding and watering them. I keep them in the coop for the first half of the day so that they lay their eggs in the coop and not in various hide-outs they find around the farm. Anyway, behind me there was quite a ruckus and squealing! Now, since the attacks on our chickens, I am a easily startled to sounds of squealing in the hen house. But, when I looked to see what the noise was all about, I laughed out loud to see Merlin desperately doing his little dance, trying to stir up some romance with his girls and NO ONE wanted a thing to do with him!

So, as I head into the house, I hear Mocha and Herbie yelling from their respective stalls in the barn and Jersey yelling from the shelter in the pasture. They do NOT like being separated, even if it’s for a very good reason! But, I know I have done my best to love and care for the animals who have been entrusted to my care! And, I love every (well, almost every) minute of it!

I hope you have enjoyed my tales of laughter here at de Good Life Farm this morning. Watch for news of the arrival of Mocha’s calf! It will, no doubt, be very soon!

The New Kid on the Farm

Well, he is here…finally! Because Jersey’s last calf, Oreo, was almost two weeks early, I was in full-expectancy mode for awhile now. I began seeing the beginning signs of impending labor early last week, so dutifully took her to the barn, against her wishes, so that we could monitor her progress and so that should the calf be born during the day, I wouldn’t have to figure a way to get mama and baby to the barn by myself now that I am the “lone farmer” during the day.

To say that I am “sleep deprived” is an understatement! The first couple of nights Jersey was in the barn, I set my alarm multiple times throughout the night to get up and check on her. Additionally, now that Micah is working a full-time job and cannot help, Jeff and I are getting up at 4:45 to get the milking done, and then after I get him off to work, I sleep…sometimes not voluntarily…because I am just that worn out. Compound that lack of sleep with getting up multiple times a night for several nights in a row…I am surprised that I know my name!

can’t keep my hands off of precious Herbie!

Finally, Thursday morning, which was her due date, I thought she might be making progress. I ran out to the barn to monitor the labor about every two hours. Bless her heart! I think she was sick of my checking on her, but I hope she understands it’s just because I love her! She was making slow progress and I checked on her around 9 or 9:30, before I began turning in the for the night.

Just before I got into bed around 10, being the AAA personality that I am, I threw my clothes back on to go out and check just once more! I felt like my eyes were tricking me when I peeked into the stall and she was cleaning him up! I estimate that he was just about 10 minutes old at that point. Immediately, I checked his gender and was thrilled to discover she had given us a precious little bull calf!

Jersey cleaning Herbie up right after birth

I ran back to the house and with breathless and shaking voice, announced to Jeff and Micah that we had a calf and it was a boy, and did they want to come out and see him? Of course, that last part was not really a question…but was more a rhetorical. As soon as I could grab my camera, I was running back to the barn.

As precious as he was, he didn’t seem to get on his feet as quickly as most of our other calves have, so I have continued to watch and monitor him often. He didn’t really seem interested in nursing and even after some “calf perk” was definitely not interested in the bottle I offered him, so eventually on Friday, the vet came out, tubed him and got about 3/4 gallon of the “liquid gold” colostrum into him. It plumped his belly up nicely and it seemed to help him turn the corner.

I still have to gently remind him occasionally that the milk supply is not under Jersey’s neck or between her front legs, but he has found the milk on his own a few times. This morning when I went out to milk, it seemed he had pretty much drained one quarter, and wasn’t interested in any more, so he must be getting what he needs for now.

If you have read my blog, or my book, “My Name is Mocha” (available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07RLMHJY7,Barnes and Noble, or Pen It Publications), you know how much I love my cows. However, I have said over and over, that it’s the calves that to me, are the icing on the cake! As exhausted as I am, I look forward to seeing him each time I make the trip to the barn.

Oh! That reminds me to remind you that this little guy is Mocha’s brother. She is very curious about him but mostly she just misses Jersey being in the pasture with her. Once I am convinced that he is able to find the milk on his own, which should be today or tomorrow, they will be in the pasture together again and Mocha will get to meet her little brother face to face rather than gazing at him from afar.

We are definitely “living de good life”. Country life is hard sometimes, but there are many joys that make the hard so worth it, and precious little calves are one of the biggest joys for me!

Midnight Romp

If you were to tell me that one of our calves would break through the fence during the night, I would NOT have guessed it would be Hazel! She has, from birth, been extremely calm, contented and seemed to have an uncanny understanding of her place in the world…well, at least on our farm. I would have guess it would be Snickers, the calf who escaped through three electric polytape fences when she was just hours old! But, no!

This morning, when hubby went out to do morning chores at 5 something o’clock this morning, everything SEEMED the same as every other morning! He walked through the back yard to the barn and had no idea of the happenings of the night. Eventually, he became aware that something was amiss as he was mucking the stalls. He heard a noise…a strange noise, like the sound of a new calf. He went out to investigate and THERE SHE WAS…laying in the front of the barn door, no doubt exhausted from her romp. She just wanted to let him know she was there and then patiently waited for him to come and make everything right again!

It is always interesting to me how hindsight puts the puzzle pieces in place. I had a very restless night…very few hours of sleep, part of which was caused by Odin, our livestock guardian dog, barking incessantly. I was tired, and all the other times he has barked and after waking hubby to go see what could be wrong, it was nothing. So, of course, I just figured it was the same and tried to go back to sleep. Eventually, he quieted down, but started up again a short time later. NOW, I know he was tattle-telling on Hazel, but I didn’t trust him enough to be alerted that something was not right. (NOTE to self: TRUST ODIN!)

Evidence of bovine two-stepping. I’ll spare you the pictorial evidence of the more fragrant type!

Jeff said there was evidence all over the back yard that she had been out for awhile and had found much to investigate. I wish I could ask her about her adventures. As I looked around at her hoof-prints, it looked like she was doing the two-step…eh, the “four-step” all over the yard.

It is amazing to me how cattle seem to know when the breaker gets blown and the fence is off. I’m sure if her nose had been bitten by seven thousand volts that she wouldn’t have broken through…so HOW DID SHE KNOW? Did she sense it was off? Or was her need for a midnight romp so overwhelming that she tried it first? And, why did no one else attempt an escape? Did she sneak out? Once she was out safely, why did no one join her?

staying unusually close to big sis, Truffle…not sure she was thrilled with her decision for independence!

So many questions to which I will never have answers. But, I am so thankful that the gates were all shut, preventing her from wandering out to the road and beyond! I am so thankful that the other three calves didn’t follow her through the broken fence. Her nighttime secrets will stay secrets unless she shares them with the other calves. I am just thankful that in the light of day, everyone is safe and back where they belong!

“Little Big Mouth” and her Arrival in the Pasture

If you have followed my farm stories for long, you no doubt remember reading about our last calf who, when just hours old, bolted through several electric fences and crossed the road before Micah tackled her on the edge of the cornfields. If not, you can go back and read “She’s Here….And She’s Off” that was written last October. That same calf “Snickers”, when being carried to the barn shortly after her birth as we do with all calves born in the pasture, belted out the loudest cry I have ever heard on a newborn calf. She earned the nickname “Little Big Mouth” on that day and she has lived up to it many times in her short four-month life.

A week ago Tuesday, she said good-bye to her mom, Caramel, and joined her Aunts Hazel and Truffle and her Great Uncle Oreo in the pasture. Now, this isn’t the first time we have been through this process. Normally, in fact with all other calves before Snickers, three days has been the magical timing of when they decide their situation isn’t going to better itself and they may as well just shut up and make the best of their current situation. But, this calf again has made a name for herself and lived up to her nickname.

Oreo, Hazel and Truffle watching in curiosity as Snickers joins the group

She mooed for a full five or six days and five nights….most of that non-stop! Caramel responded in duet with expected moos for three of those days, but conforming to our expectation that she would settle down in three days, she was contented after that. But, Snickers (LMB) kept it up…till she was hoarse! She would go over and eat hay with the other calves and then go back to the area of the pasture nearest the barn and start her complaining all over again.

Then one night, after she had begun to settle down, a neighbor’s dog evidently got bitten by our electric fence late at night and was yelping so loudly I could hear it through my closed window. Well, Snickers decided that was her cue to begin her song of woe once again. Thankfully, when the dog quieted down, eventually she did as well.

The other funny thing that has happened in the pasture since she arrived is the older calves have each “adopted” one of the calves as their protector/babysitter/trainer. When Hazel joined them several weeks ago, I expected her sister, Truffle, to take her under her wing and be her buddy/surrogate mom. However, it was big, sweet and gentle Oreo who became his niece’s buddy and babysitter.

When Snickers joined the calves, I was also hoping that Hazel would be a comfort to her because they had played together in the corral quite a bit and seemed to really enjoy playing with each other. However, Hazel stood and observed this noisy little creature with near disdain and a quizzical look as if to say “WHAAAT IS YOUR PROBLEM???? This pasture was a pretty peaceful place before YOU arrived!!!” It was Truffle who then seemed to have the patience and desire to help with Snicker’s acclimation to the group. Several times I have gone out to the pasture and they were standing two and two…Truffle and Snickers in one place and Hazel and Oreo in another. There are times that all four of them are in one place, either around the hay bale eating, or in the shelter for the night but this pairing up has surprised me.

Snickers, enjoying stretching her legs and running around in the openness of the pasture

I think she is slowly becoming one of them but Oreo, as sweet and as gentle as he is, still finds ways to let Snickers know he doesn’t really appreciate all the chaos she has brought to the pasture. I have observed him several times chasing her away from eating near where he was eating. As much as I don’t like this, I have come to realize it is part of how the calves establish the hierarchy of the pasture and I must allow them to work it out, as long as someone is still able to eat, drink and sleep without being bullied. Sometimes I wonder if somehow Oreo knows that Snickers is Caramel’s daughter and is paying her back for how Caramel bullied him when she was at the top of the heap in the pasture. If you remember, he was the one who broke through the fence and happily ate from the neighbor’s clover field when Caramel kept chasing him away from the hay. Guess what goes around comes around!

“Moo”ve over…there’s a new leader on the block!

Personalities are funny….but especially so when you are talking about bovine personalities! I know I have talked about this before, but we have a variety of HUGE personalities here at the farm. Jersey, the mom, grandma and great-grandma has her stubborn moments, but for the most part, she is quiet-natured and easy going…kind of a go-with-the-flow kind of girl.

However, her daughter, Mocha is definitely NOT those things most of the time. She is our “diva” cow…she knows what she wants, when she wants it, how she wants it, and lets you know if you haven’t met her expectations! One example is our morning and evening routine: Jeff cleans out the stall while I get the dairy feed ready. If he takes too long and doesn’t close the stall door, OR if I take too long getting the feed ready, she puts her nose on the stall door, shoves it open and walks out to where I am filling her feed bowl. Sometimes she just stands there and waits and sometimes she comes over to see what is taking me so long! Patience is definitely NOT one of her virtues! Mocha shows typical signs of PMS when she is in heat: moody, sulky, difficult to get along with, etc. But, she is smart! She is way too smart for her own good, and ours! Mocha is a leader and sometimes mouthy but seems to understand the way things work. When there is a variation in routine, she complains for three days, but after that seems to acclimate to the new routine.

Mocha has birthed four daughters: Cocoa, Caramel, Truffle and Hazel. Cocoa was fairly easy going, more like her grandma than her mama! Caramel is far more skittish than either Jersey or Mocha. Truffle is very smart like Mocha, but she is far more loving and docile than Mocha. Oh, don’t get me wrong…Mocha has her special ways of being affectionate with her humans… but Truffle is outwardly affectionate. Truffle is also a leader, much like her mama. Hazel is like the best version of Mocha and all of her sister calves put together. She is big, strong, sweet and so very smart!

Mocha with Hazel nursing for the last time.

Since Hazel turned four months of age in January, it was time to move her out of the barn where she has been with Mocha, to the west pasture. It is always emotional for me to know when that last time is that they will be together, so I always snap a few pictures to commemorate the occasion.

Mocha and Hazel (left); Caramel and Snickers (right)

I was eager to see how easily she would adjust to being away from her mama and living full time with her uncle Oreo and her sister Truffle. It has been so much fun to watch. Oh, she mooed incessantly for three days, carrying on a long-distance duet of sorts with Mocha but even during her vocal displays of displeasure at being separated from her mom, she emerged the new leader on the block! From her first moments in the pasture with them, she was self-assured and just walked around checking everything out.

Oreo and Truffle followed her around as if they were self-appointed babysitters, but it quickly became apparent that she was taking a leadership role with them. Normally, the youngest calf has the low spot on the pecking order, but not Hazel! She has claimed the prime sleeping spot in the shelter and has made her place at the round bale of hay in the MIDDLE OF THE FRAME. She climbs into the frame and eats from there. I guess she thinks she can’t be challenged or booted out of there since she is the only one small enough to get in there.

Soon, there will be another addition to the west pasture as Snickers, Caramel’s daughter, will soon be ready to leave her mama and join the other calves. She, like her mama is more skittery, so it will be interesting to see who she attaches to and where she makes her place. She isn’t as assertive as Hazel but really like Hazel, so I am eager to see how all four of them get along.

One of the interesting things that has developed is the fact that Oreo has seemed the most interested and attentive to Hazel since she has joined them. I guess I expected the sisters to bond the most, but he follows her most closely and is so interested in where she is and what she is doing. I will enjoy watching all four of them as they grow and enjoy the pasture this summer.

Baby Bovine Behavior (also named The Hilarious Antics of Hazel)

Oh look at that precious face: beautiful and seemingly docile; but, do not let that gorgeous face fool you! She is ornery and energetic as well as headstrong and fearless! She took us on a romp this morning that should have been no big deal except for a few special circumstances coupled with her strong personality.

First, let me say, she will be three weeks old tomorrow! From the first hour of her birth, I knew that she was different from Mocha’s previous three calves in that she was hitting “milestones” ahead of her sisters. Some milestones she hit days before her older sisters. She stood within her first hour. She only needed to be shown once how to nurse. She ran around Mocha in the stall within 24 hours of her birth. From her birth, she was too tall to duck under her mama. She drank from the water trough with her mom in the first few days. The list goes on and on!

She is like the other calves in that she doesn’t like to have the lead rope put on and be forced to go somewhere, whether to the barn, to the pasture or from stall to stall in the barn. She plants her front feet and sticks her chin up in the air with a fierce determination to stand her ground. In her first few days of life, she rewarded the person on the backside pushing her by defecating on them, which was a good thing as far as monitoring her food intake, but not nice for the person trying to push her to go where she didn’t want to go!

She is pretty independent too! From her first hours, she just had this settledness and confidence about her. She doesn’t seem too bothered to be put in a separate stall while I milk Mocha. The other calves would bellow and moo but for the most part, Hazel just lays down and waits until we come for her.

Well, her independence showed in full living color this morning. For the past several days, she and Mocha have had the full run of the front and side pasture but since there isn’t much grass to be eaten in the back pastures right now, we had to move Jersey and Caramel to the front and put a second strand of electric fence tape across to accomodate Hazel’s small size, thinking she couldn’t get through, allowing she and Mocha to in the side pasture. (A little side note of history, last week, she ran right under the electric tape and had some crazy frolics in the front pasture while Mocha stood in the side pasture yelling for her, unable to get past the single strand of electric tape.)

This morning, that little independent miss just ran and broke through the electric tape and frolicked with her grandma, Jersey, and her older sis, Caramel, running around so fast that her body was literally at a 45 degree angle to the ground! She roused Jersey and Caramel up something terrible! Caramel is due to deliver her own calf in about 8 days, so needless to say she doesn’t need to be frolicking in the pasture with her baby sis!

To make matters more crazy, while she was running around the pasture and avoiding being caught by me, (and I am talking around and around and around the pasture) Jersey decided to run interference for her by standing between me and her and then just as I would get close to Hazel, Jersey would take off which would clue Hazel in that I was getting close and off she would go again! At one point, I was so frustrated I wasn’t sure if I was going to cry, yell or just double over in laughter.

I’m not really sure how long I ran around like a fool, chasing the illusive Hazel, but the thought did cross my mind “I now know why they lasso calves!” I think it would be a skill that would have come in quite handy this morning!

Eventually, by putting Mocha back in the corral, Hazel could no longer overcome her innate desire to be with her mom, so she headed back to the corral as well. But, what a workout she gave us! I often think how cool it would be if some “eye in the sky” was videotaping the antics that happen here on the farm, so that we could relive them and have a good belly laugh from time to time!

Can’t Help But Smile!

Have you ever just been doing your thing…easy or hard..and realized you are smiling involuntarily? Well, I have! In fact, it happens often to me here on de Good Life Farm. I thought I might share with you some of the things that make me smile because this morning, again, I caught myself smiling as I went about morning chores.

Usually, the first smile in the morning happens when I look in at our sleeping goldens…sometimes Beau is laying over by Belle in her kennel; sometimes he and Lacey are laying together; but usually, Beau lays right by the door to the milkroom. I think he does this so that when anyone has to go through that door in the morning to do barn chores, he will have to be awakened because no one can come in or out of that door without him having to move and he will lay right back down there, even if it means he has to move ten times!

As I walk to the barn, I look over at the west pasture where Caramel, her sister, Truffle and her uncle, Oreo are currently staying. They are so adorable. I always talk to them on my way by and as I call each name, they turn and look at me. It is impossible for me not to smile when interacting with the calves.

Mocha is the next smile-maker. First, her face is the cutest bovine face I have ever seen. That alone, makes me smile! Then, she has this habit of standing as high as she can get on her hay pile which increases her height by at least a foot or so. I ask her if she is playing “Queen of the Hill”. She stands there and watches everything that’s going on in the barn. She knows eventually she will be getting new hay and watches intently until that happens. If we open the “window” on her stall, she will stick her head and neck out as far as she possibly can and it is absolutely so adorable, I can’t help but smile at her!

Sometimes when I am milking Mocha, she will turn around and just watch me, but most of the time she stands calmly, just chewing her cud, patiently waiting (most of the time) until she is free to eat her hay. Just watching her standing there makes me smile. Sometimes, she is not so patient…trying to reach the hay pile if it was left close enough for her to reach. Then, I am definitely not smiling because I find myself doing one of two dances: The Bovine Two-Step (moving back and forth two steps at a time to keep up with her moving) and the Milk Stool Shuffle (moving my stool over and over trying to reposition as she moves). Neither of them bring a smile to my face until hours later and I imagine what it would look like if it had been video recorded!

After milking, I always go into the pasture to love on the calves and Caramel. For some reason, Caramel has grown somewhat timid…but she is so very interested in how much Oreo and Truffle love the attention from me that she slowly and slyly saunters over in a “don’t notice me”-kind of way and gets close enough so that I can rub her nose or her chin or neck. That definitely makes me smile!

Watching Oreo run down the pasture with his legs kicking up so high that I can see his white cream filling (the white patch on his belly) when he is running makes me smile every time! It is so precious! He is getting so big but runs and plays like he is still a young calf.

I’m sure my neighbors must think I am a crazy cow lady because I can’t leave in my car without putting down my window(s) and talking to whomever is in the pasture. It takes me forever to leave because I have to call to each one individually and then watching them turn to my voice as I say their name makes my day! Then, when I return home, just seeing those precious bovine in my pastures brings a smile to my face.

Watching our golden retrievers run and play with each other is so much fun. But what REALLY makes me smile is watching Belle run circles around Beau. She is so stinking fast and she loves to tantalize him. She will run up to him with a stick in her mouth just to tempt him to chase her. When he falls for it (and he does multiple times during each playtime), she takes off like lightning and leaves him in the dust. Sometimes Beau will find a stick Belle hasn’t found yet but as soon as she realizes he has a stick, she zooms up to him and before he even knows what has happened, she has retrieved the stick from his mouth and it is now in hers and she runs away with it! She can carry at least three good-sized sticks in her mouth at once. Oh, and Lacey! She plays with them for awhile right in the thick of it, then she sits with her back to them like their behavior is so disgusting and she is too good to be a part of it. Their antics bring more than a smile to my face: more like eruptive laughter!

Then there are other things that make me smile from time to time: a fat robin hunting a stray worm; a cotton-tailed bunny hurrying across the path in front of me; a gorgeous pink and purple-striped sunrise; the first flower of spring popping through the ground; the first bud on the tree; and the list goes on and on.

One of the cutest things that made me smile this week was Belle and Truffle. It isn’t a frequent thing that we get to observe two species interacting with each other; most of the time the canines and the bovines keep to themselves. But the youngsters of each species are definitely drawn to each other. Yesterday I was in the pasture loving on Oreo and the dogs were playing in the yard. I turned around to see Belle hopping and pouncing around, putting her nose to the ground trying to get Truffle to play with her…and the amazing thing was that Truffle was nearly imitating Belle’s antics back at her…head down and tapping her front hooves on the ground, hopping around back at her. Keep in mind that there is an electric polytape between them but Belle’s desire to play with Truffle was almost more than she could stand and I was concerned she was going to go right through the electric fence.

This life we have chosen is not an easy life. In fact, sometimes it is down-right excruciatingly difficult but, as long as I can still catch myself smiling involuntarily, I know I am exactly where I am meant to be.

Tag: calves