I've Gone Country A blog about a city girl learning a whole new world

This is Toots the day after she was born.  I always take Mama a sweet feed treat after birth.  I suppose it is an equivalent of us getting a box of chocolates!  She  surely deserves  it.

I find it amazing how the Mama’s and the babies communicate.  If you listen carefully in the video you can hear Mom give a little moo almost like a hum sound.  She actually does it twice in this video.  I am not sure what Mom is telling her baby…hopefully, she was letting the baby know that it was alright for me to be around.

When a cow is about to give birth they tend to go off, away from the herd.  Once they give birth, they take the baby and have some time to themselves.  Eventually the Mama wants to join the herd again, she usually hides the baby and I guess tells it to stay….because it does.  The baby doesn’t disobey unless it is scared, then it will come out and start mooing for its mother.

Here are the two of them, by themselves the morning after birth.

I gave Punkin her sweet feed…Toots just watched,  she is too young to eat feed right now.  Since she is only a day old, she is still a little wobbly on her legs.

Those first few days, the calves are usually pretty laid back.  Most of the time I have been able to pet them.  I just love that part.

Punkin went back into the pasture for a while and I took advantage of some one on one time with Toots.  She rested her little head in my hands.  She liked me petting her.  I kinda liked it too.  I savor these moments, they are few and far between.

Day two was a little harder for me to spot them.  But across the field I saw Punkin grazing by herself.

I gave her some sweet feed… if you look closely you can see a black spot in those trees….that is Toots.

I walked up to her, and she stood up.  She isn’t too sure about me.  There was no way to pet her that day.  She was nestled in pretty good with vines and sticker bushes.  It doesn’t seem to bother them.  It is protection from predators.

When I started to leave she laid back down.

Morning of day three.  Punkin was with the herd and baby Toots was laying in the pasture in the open, but she was on the opposite end.  However, she was still in view of Mama.

She didn’t jump up when I approached her, so I was able to pet her for a second.  Then she stood up, I had to hold onto her to be able to pet her for just a minute.

It didn’t take her long and she wiggled loose.  She is very strong.  Billy said he thinks she weighed between 80-100 pounds when she was born.

Of course you know what she did….she called for her Mama.  She took off through the pasture towards her.

Punkin was looking up at her.  She recognized her baby’s cry.  She began walking toward Toots.  She Mooed at her and Toots started walking to the tree line.  I suppose that is where she told her to go….because

Punkin met Toots there… at the tree line…. and proceeded to take her deeper into it.

I’m pretty sure that was my last time to pet her.  Except maybe a little here and there on her head.

The next morning Toots was playing in the pasture while the herd was grazing.  Just like a typical kid, jumping around running here and there.  It is fun to see that just comes natural.  She came close a time or two and would stop and look at me…then like a puppy she would go play again.

She seems really happy and I am very glad that this time Punkin is able to enjoy her baby.  Last year was sad when she lost her first calf.

She is a good mother.

Yesterday was one week since Toots arrived.  They both seem very happy and healthy, and I am very thankful for that.

I just wished she would let me pet her all the time!