As I walk through the cow/calf pen and get everyone up to make sure they are well, a few tears come to my eyes as a few of the calves run toward me and start licking my pants to greet me for the morning. Then they take off running and bucking across the pen. They are so cute while they do this. I then start laughing hysterically at a few of the younger mothers as they start running after their babies. The older mothers are standing there looking at them. I can almost read their minds. They are thinking, "Really? They will come back. You can see the whole pen. Save your energy." It is almost the same way a mother of two, three or more children looks at a first time mother and the extreme way they tend to do some things at first. Yes, we were all first time mothers at one time, but after a while most of us relax and aren't as extreme about things such as washing the pacifier every time it falls out of the baby's mouth. The cows follow very similar patterns. The older moms still do not like the calves out of their sight for at least the first few months, but as long as they can see them they are alright with them running around.
As I am taking care of Clara Bell's mom for her last treatment for the infection in her udder, I let Clara walk around the barnyard. She starts butting me. I can't help but chuckle at her. Then she comes over beside me and puts her forehead on my cheek as I am on my knees to milk out the infected quarter. She just rests her forehead there as if giving me a hug. A few tears come to my eyes and I stop milking to love on her for a minute. She then wonders off and walks around while I finish with mom. After mom is all taken care of, it is time for Clara to nurse. I get mom out of corral and into barnyard with Clara Bell. While I am shutting up corral, the two of them walk to each other and Clara starts to try to nurse without me! I am so excited about this! She manages to get the front teat in her mouth and start nursing before I get to them. This makes tears come to my eyes yet again. This is the first time she has started nursing on her own while standing completely unassisted. It takes me a minute to realize that I have helped her get to this point by being persistent and never giving up on her. My children my call this persistence being stubborn, but whatever you call it, it is working!
After the teat slips out of Clara's mouth, mom walks into the stall for her feed while Clara finishes nursing. They have learned the routine and like to stick to the routine just like most of us find comfort in our routines. Clara starts following mom into the stall gets to the barn door, turns her head looks outside and stops. I had to push her inside. She wanted to stay outside! She still needed help nursing the back teat (she can't nurse the infected one yet), and after she had been nursing for awhile I had to support her a little. Though she still needs help, she is getting so much stronger. This makes me feel a lot better because I will not be able to help nurse for at least three feedings. While everyone else is capable of doing this task, mom and Clara are used to the way that I do it and I tend to have more patience in situations like this. I am not trying to say anything negative about anyone else, but I am sure if you think about it there is someone in your family that has more patience in different situations than other family members. When we were done nursing, I lectured Clara Bell and mom on being good while I was away. Did they understand what I said? Who is to say? Am I crazy for talking to my cattle? If so lock me up and throw away the key because I have been doing it as long as I can remember!
My foot is very sore this morning after the surgery yesterday. I am sitting here feeling a little down as everyone else is out taking care of my babies, but I know they are in great hands. Here is hoping and praying the pain and swelling go down so that I can at least go to the barn and see the babies in the barn this afternoon and/or in the morning before I go stir crazy. Some would say I am already crazy! ;)
Until next time, remember.......Beef, It's What's for Dinner!
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