Bums Update

Like I said I was going to do I got the twin calf pulled off the heifer and have the two different bum twin calves shown in the picture to feed. The one that has been on the heifer I expected to give me trouble learning to go on the bottle since she had been on a mom so long. No problems though, took a bottle right down two hours after she nursed momma. That just shows momma was really not producing enough milk for them and I needed to do this. I hauled the heifer twin cow home yesterday and turned her loose and what did I find over in the cows? A cow that lost a calf.

It looks like it came back feet first which usually causes the calf to drown in the amniotic fluids before it is completely born so this cow makes an excellent candidate to graft one of the bums on. We brought her home and are now working on getting one of the calves grafted on her. She is not real keen on the idea yet but she appears to be gentle enough that I can make it work with enough patience and time. I will put that in because a cow will do a lot better job raising the calf than I will. Bums never do real well in the long run.

Now I only have one bum to deal with, and the weather. Winter storm watch is out, talking 3 to 8 inches of snow with possible strong winds to last from this afternoon to Monday morning. Damn, how miserable that is while calving. The moisture won't hurt but it's tough while calving. As always, have to take the good with the bad and make things work out. Lot's of fun.

Love and work are viewed and experienced as totally separate activities motivated by separate needs. Yet, when we think about it, our common sense tells us that our most inspired, creative acts are deeply tied to our need to love and that, when we lack love, we find it difficult to work creatively; that work without love is dead, mechanical, sheer competence without vitality, that love without work grows boring, monotonous, lacks depth and passion. Marta Zahaykevich