My newest Heritage Jersey calf, Rose Etta, is coolly unconcerned, calm, and ALL ABOUT nonchalant when approaching my chickens, but …
… as soon as she’s within striking distance, she switches into high gear, breakneck speed. “AaaaRCK, run for your life!!!!” And then, three minutes later, all is calm again. The chickens seem to love the action and entertainment of it all because they have to travel quite a distance to be in my cows’ pasture this time of year. Waddle, waddle, cluck, cluck, cluck, there’s never anything exciting to do around here. Just a lot of laying ’round. All lay and little excitement.
Momma Maizy watches patiently, “Kids these days.”
Hahahahaha!! This is just hilarious. Nothing like a barnyard game of catch me if you can!
Pretty in pink! Little Rose Etta is too adorable in her little cow-cape outfit. That is so smart to keep her warm. Around here the farmers take the calves away and put them in little igloos to keep them warm, they really look like igloos ,not kidding. But so cruel for the babies and their doting mothers. So much better to let the calf run around and play and be near her mother. Is she nursing from Maizy, or are you bottle feeding her , so mom can go back to giving milk by milking machine?
All my babies nurse for anywhere from 4 to 7 months, sometimes a tad longer if it seems like they need it. I milk their mothers every morning around 10 and get plenty of milk without having to separate them at all during the day. I’m getting 2 to 3 gallons from momma Maizy every morning and the rest she produces goes to Rose Etta during the rest of the day and the night. It’s a great system I think because everyone is happy. I couldn’t bear to separate babies from their mothers. Their relationships are so substantial and involved and there is a tremendous amount of physically important, as well as therapeutic, licking and tender loving that takes place throughout the day.
Oh MaryJane, I didn’t doubt for a second that you would be anything but kind and loving towards your calves! Yes, mama cows are the very best mothers and spend the entire day licking and nuzzling their babies. So glad Maizy can spend that very important first few months to nearly a year, totally with her darling baby Rose Etta. Talk about contented cows.
Isn’t it funny that such common sense can be so uncommon? I know, I know, Mark Twain said it first, but still, he’s right!
What a sweetie and look and look at her trying to herd those chickens. Mary Jane y’all take the best pictures at the farm and I just love the action shots.
Thanks so much.
Hugs,
Debbie
Love sweet Maize, watching Rose Etta as any good mother should. With her pink coat Mama will be able to keep track of her.