Life is Precious and Fragile
/Momma and Calf Resting
During calving season, we are constantly reminded that life is both precious and fragile. We welcomed our second calf of the season (#627) into the world at 1 am Saturday morning under a sky filled with meteors showering down. This strong calf was immediately up walking around and bonding with his mom (#324). What a sight to behold!
How fast things can change. Michael was up before sunrise to check on the calf. Sadly, the calf had not eaten and wouldn't suckle from his mom. Michael tried bottle feeding with no success. Michael, being prepared, brought out the esophageal feeder and explained my role in helping to tube feed the calf. We knew we needed to get colostrum into the calf.
Patient Momma Cow After Milking and Her Calf Bottle Feeding
We milked momma cow last night, who was incredibly patient with us as novice milkers, and we taught the calf to feed from the bottle.
Calf Feeding From Momma
Michael successfully taught the calf to suckle milk directly from momma cow this morning. We could not have saved our little calf on our own without the support and advice from our dear friends and wonderful vet.
Welcome into the world #627! You have a great momma and lots of people who care about you. Yes, life is both precious and fragile.
