I traipsed around after the guys the other afternoon… shocked to find that only 5 miles down the road, they didn’t have snow! Somehow, I always think if I have snow… everyone has snow… You’d think I’d learn. We live just over the divide, and it frequently starts snowing within 3 miles of home.
Anyway, the guys were trying to mother up a cow and calf. She’d had her baby no problem, but wanted to claim another instead. She was slightly confused. That needed to be remedied before she stole the other calf or refused her own.
The answer? Pen her and her baby together for a bit to tighten the bond without the distraction of the other calf.
First, set up some fence panels to the horsetrailer.
Then load her up.
Shut the partition door and go find the calf.
How do you find one black calf amongst tens of other black calves? Why, tie a baling twine ID bracelet on a leg when you caught it earlier in the day…
Pen in the calving shed and supervise the interaction. She was an easy case, letting the baby suck and not kicking it off… a little time together, and they’ll be fine!
So, you two… bond, just bond!
Let's Socialize...
The story illustrates how you have to keep a close eye on things all the time: the sooner you detect a problem, the easier the solution and the better the chances for a happy end. I liked this happy end!