The Baby, The Rainy Day and the Moron Mama

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First let me say, we need the rain. It's cold, it's muddy and it's no fun, but we need the rain so FINE!

Here are three calves all huddled together with one mama. I thought that was sort of odd. I'd have thought a mama would huddle with her own calf only, but apparently heat is to be savored no matter how close the relationship.

Wise cow (the moron cow comes later-hang in there)

 Here's My Cowboy walking through the herd, they gathered in a south west corner, by some spindly trees because the wind is a bit less there, still not exactly toasty. My Cowboy was looking for 709. That's a cow with an ear tag that says 709, thus the name.

 

He was leaving the newborn calf for last. You (and I, let's face it!) can't tell but My Cowboy knew with one glance the calf hadn't sucked.

GET THE TUBE.

Except dilemma, it's COLD. And the little guy is shivering.

Thus begins the MORON part of this story....most of which I didn't get pictures of due to My Cowboy's gently requesting that I 'GET BACK IN THE KUBOTA BEFORE SHE KILLS YOU.'

I am, as always, ever obedient. (some may say a coward, but WHATEVER)

 

So this next picture is the Kubota. You can't really see it but it has a stock rack on it. Put there deliberately because My Cowboy had a feeling he was going to have to haul the calf into the barn, which is outside the fence and across the road. NO PROBLEM. Sling the baby into the little pen with 4 x 4 wheels and off we go to the barn with loving obedient mama following.

Then the rodeo begins. (I returned to the Kubota at this point) My Cowboy did his part, hoisting the wriggling, soggy little guy into the truck bed, but MAMA WENT NUTS. You have NEVER heard such bellowing. Like the meanest El Toro you've ever heard. And then, when we had the calf all penned up and My Cowboy had leapt out of the truck bed, run around the Kubota on the side the cow was NOT on and jumped in, to lead the parade home. MAMA MORON RUNS MAD. I mean like she runs AWAY. She SPRINTED straight away from us.

"But WAIT, come back!"

No, she's searching EVERYWHERE for the baby.

"But you were right HERE. You SAW us put him in the Kubota pen."

We tried.

We really did.

We went after her, tried to get the Kubota close so she could see her baby, instead, she SPRINTED back to the far corner of the pasture to SEARCH SOME MORE.

So ... we debated a long time, and by WE I mean I sat while My Cowboy mutter things best not typed here.

He didn't want to separate cow and calf overnight for fear MAMA MORON will forget she ever had a calf. (they do that when you least expect it!) But he didn't want to leave it out there shivering, even though he fed it so it's tummy was full of warm milk.

So, we brought him into the barn.

We will reunite mama and baby tomorrow, which may be Rodeo Part II.