She has a white bow tie shape on her forehead
so we call her Bow Tie.
She is one of the best cows in the herd...
She had a calf a week ago and
unfortunately it died.
She has a lot of milk and does a great job
raising a calf every year...
A few days ago one of our cows had twins.
Yesterday we gave one of the twins to Bow Tie...
The twin calf is wearing the hide of
Bow Tie's calf...
It is important that the twin calf smells
like her own calf.
This is referred to as grafting.
It is a tried and true method of getting a mama
cow to accept a new calf.
The new calf will wear the hide for a few days
to be sure the mama is convince it is her own calf.
Then the hide will be removed.
The twin calf is black
The calf has nursed several times and...
Bow Tie loves her new baby !
This was a very satisfying end to our day.
No, the twin mother does not miss this calf.
Just as long as she has one calf at her side
she is happy.
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May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,
LuAnn Kessi
Sorry to learn of Bow Tie's baby dying, but how sweet you are able to match her up with a twin. I hope the grafting works and they build a loving relationship. So far, it looks very promising.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is heart breaking when a new calf doesn't make it. Unfortunately, that is part of our life this time of the year. A cow just wants a calf at her side...grafting usually works. We will know for sure in a couple more days.
DeleteMany Thanks for your comment,
LuAnn
So glad Bow Tie gets a calf!! Do you ever know why a calf dies? I'm that weird person who would want to do an autopsy on the calf to find out what, if anything, was wrong with the calf. I've heard of sheep accepting a baby that wasn't theirs but was wearing the skin of their lamb...shouldn't be any different for cattle!! Looking forward to seeing Bow Tie and her baby in the future! The first picture of Bow Tie it looks like she is weeping milk!
ReplyDeleteThere are different reasons a calf dies. Bow Ties calf had septicemia at birth. Sometimes we are able to cure a septicemia calf with lots of colostrum and antibiotics, but we weren't able to save it this time. We have had autopsies done on cattle and we rarely find out why they died.
DeleteBow Tie and her new baby are doing really well today. We are hoping to take the hide off in a couple of days.
Thanks for your comment,
LuAnn
Mother Nature & you/cowboy know what to do...so glad Bow Tie is accepting this new calf! thank goodness for you!!!
ReplyDeleteBow Tie is an older, experienced cow that is very easy going. All she wants to do each year is raise a baby. She wanted a baby so badly that she probably would have taken the new calf without a hide tied on it.
DeleteAll The Best,
LuAnn