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

I am writing this story with great hesitation.  It is actually embarrassing.

Why?  You might be asking yourself………

Because we are feeding TUG……..

I know…..another animal that we are having to bottle feed.  Sometimes I think that our critters just know that we will…..so they have them….and leave the feeding up to us.

The whole labor and delivery was very different with this heifer.  This is her first calf.  Maybe you remember that she had it almost three weeks ago.  When I found her in labor she was with all the other cows….which is unusual.  Normally a cow will go off to herself to have her baby.  Later she rejoins the group….sometimes with the baby..but usually she will hide the baby in the woods or high grass.  She returns to feed it throughout the day.  That usually goes on for about two weeks or so.  The baby then starts to join the mama in the field laying down while the other adults graze.  The baby will get up ever so often to move with the herd then lay back down.  They are like newborns and nap a good bit for the first month or two.

Back to the delivery story…the cows stayed with this Mama…Bailey….the whole time.  Once delivered the Mama licked him a couple of times….but oddly enough some of the other cows came over and started licking him.  Mama’s lick the babies to clean them… This also stimulates them to stand up.   Tug took a little while to stand.  Mama didn’t want to get up either….Billy and I pushed and pulled….but it was the encouragement and pushing of another cow that actually got her to stand.  Once on her feet she walked away.  She wouldn’t come back and feed her baby.  That is not good, because the baby has to have the colostrum within so many hours after delivery or it will die.  By night fall she had not fed the baby…..it was weak and could hardly stand.  We got Bailey and tug into an enclosed fenced area so she would more or less have to feed him.  Besides, we had a lot of rain headed our way and this would be the best spot for them.  Apparently delivery had been stressful and long for both of them.  Our neighbor said that sometimes if they have been stressed the Mama might act  weird like this for a little while.  Especially a first time Mama.  So we just watched and waited.

Bailey still wouldn’t let the baby nurse.  He was able to get a swig here and there…but she would kick him off.  The next morning when we checked in on them we saw her bag was so full she was dripping milk….but she would not let him nurse.  This went on for another couple days.  He was  just getting a swallow here and there.  Mama was wanting out of the fence….oddly the other cows would come up to the fence and moo at her.  Not all of them at once, but one every so often.  I don’t know what they were saying…but it was different.  It was a different kind of mooing that was going on.  I promise you it was if they were scolding her.

Billy and I finally decided to just let her out into the field.  Keeping her contained was not giving us the results we had hoped for.  She still was not being the kind of mother she needed to be to this baby.  Sometimes new mothers just need to learn….but it was obvious….she doesn’t want to take care of this baby.

I opened the gate and she bellowed a big moo and took off to meet the other cows in the next field.  Baby went too, but he slowly walked away…not knowing what to do.  He found a section of brush to lay under.  Bailey greeted the other cows, but  they were not very happy to see her.  They all started pushing her around.  Especially the black cows.  They head butted her a couple of times.  That is not normal for our girls.  They pushed and shoved for a little while….and then they kind of shunned her.  She eventually walked off by herself.  The other cows went up to the baby and all started licking him.  He was hungry of course and tried to nurse on each and every one of them, except for Punkin who is already nursing the other baby Rey.  I was totally amazed at how patient they were.  He even checked out the donkey. Throughout the day I saw that she still was not going to feed him and the only cow that has milk right now…wasn’t going to share.  After much deliberation…..Billy and I eventually decided that it looked like we better feed him.

I know….we even discussed it with some other farm people here and they said that they would feed him too if he was theirs.  Sometimes…just like with humans….you get one that just doesn’t want to be a Mama.  I think that is extremely sad.

Still, when he is in the field with the others….he goes up to them and tries to nurse.  Later, I give him a bottle when they aren’t paying attention.  I hope they think they are satisfying him.   Brandy is Tug’s grandmother, she will be delivering soon herself.  It is my hope that she will let him nurse with her new baby when she delivers.

Meanwhile, we are soaking up the sweet affection of this baby.  It is rare….and although I hope he will be taken in and fed by one of the others…..I am enjoying this rare opportunity.

He is really friendly and enjoys being  petted.  I try not to baby him too much…but every once in a while I have to love on him.

At least I hope this will be a rare opportunity…….we really want them all to be raised by their Mama’s.

He is precious….precious.