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| Feeding time |
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| One of our summer babies |
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| Baby Protected by Mom |
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This baby calf was born a few days ago. Russell and his friend, Jake, were exploring and they discovered her (she was expected but we didn't know when). In the morning, Andy found that she was alone without her mother. This is common. Typically a mom will hide the baby in the tall grass or in the woods so she can spend the time that she needs eating and drinking. Later she will return and care for the calf. Since the grass is not tall at this time of year, she was not hidden. Because Andy found her alone he began monitoring her to make sure the mother was returning to the calf to care for her. Andy put her in the barn just in case the mother wasn't taking care. Sure enough, mom was faithfully returning to take care. Everything is well and mom is doing a great job. This calf will grow at Maple Heights Farm and likely will become breeding stock -- having babies of her own.
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| Feeding again while Mom watches us |
She will never receive any medications of any kind. No antibiotics, no hormones, no worming medicine -- nothing. What if she gets sick? This doesn't happen here very often here at MHF. In the last few years, we have only had one cow (this past summer) who developed an eye infection, probably from walking into a stick. This did not spread to any other animals and we monitored it but left it alone. After a few weeks, she started to lose some weight -- very common with eye infections. We were reading about treating it with tea (yes, Barry's English Tea) with honey and salt, which we have success with in the past (on our own children and with clogged tear ducts in our puppy). Just as we were developing a plan, the cow started getting better. Problem solved with no intervention. What about worms? Our cows eat a varied diet of very healthy plants that grow in the pastures. We do not mono-culture, but instead encourage the plants that have been here for the last century and beyond. This diet in addition to frequent rotation of pasture and our pasture management program seem to keep the worms at bay -- and out of the cows. We are thinking of supplementing a few haylage bales with garlic, oregano and hot pepper which is thought to also help -- we would do this as additional insurance. Would we treat with antibiotics? YES. DEFINITELY. IF absolutely necessary. It just hasn't been at all necessary. So far we have a perfect record after 6 years on this farm!
Back to the calf... She will nurse off her mother until her mother decides she is done. We have had "calves" still nursing at 2 years!! But more normally this will be about a year. We will not interfere with this process. The calf will not get milk-starter or grain or preventative medicine. We believe her mom will give her the best start possible -- human intervention and processed foods are not better. For now, the calf will only get mother's milk. Eventually she will begin eating bits of grass (will become scarce over the next month or two) and our USDA Certified Organic Hay and Haylage (organic fermented grasses). She will never receive grain or treats of any kind -- though if we have a hard winter where
our feed is not providing enough calories for warmth, we will supplement
with a non-GMO corn silage grown and fermented by Andy's father in
Fitchburg. We have not had a recent winter where this has been
necessary and do not anticipate a need for this in the foreseeable future. On occasion, an organic winter squash or pumpkin might get tossed over the fence and smashed for all the cows to nibble. Pumpkin is thought to ward off worms (our puppy eats a spoonful every few days).
She will likely decide to stay outside most of the winter through snowstorms and
rain, seeking shelter in the barn only when the weather is at its harshest and then, likely only for the occasional night. She will decide when she wants to be outside and when she
wants to be inside. As of this point in the year, our herd has chosen to stay out under the stars every night -- but it has not been cold -- only getting down to 20 degrees F thus far.
The mother will protect her initially. This morning a sister-cow came by to lick the calf. Mom pushed her away -- and not lightly. Message received. Coyotes are ever-present here (we have moved the chickens inside for protection) and a 300 pound bear has been present in the neighborhood and on the farm for the past few months. The herd will protect this new baby and the three other baby calves that were born earlier in the year. They do a great
job. They will call to Andy if they need any additional help, but that is rarely necessary.
During the day, she will stay by her mom while her mom forages. At times, her mom will leave her in a protected spot and return when she can. She will congregate with the herd in the lower fields and occasionally follow them up to the barn while they fill up on water.
Welcome new baby calf. It is nice to finally have you here!
Back to the calf... She will nurse off her mother until her mother decides she is done. We have had "calves" still nursing at 2 years!! But more normally this will be about a year. We will not interfere with this process. The calf will not get milk-starter or grain or preventative medicine. We believe her mom will give her the best start possible -- human intervention and processed foods are not better. For now, the calf will only get mother's milk. Eventually she will begin eating bits of grass (will become scarce over the next month or two) and our USDA Certified Organic Hay and Haylage (organic fermented grasses). She will never receive grain or treats of any kind -- though if we have a hard winter where
our feed is not providing enough calories for warmth, we will supplement
with a non-GMO corn silage grown and fermented by Andy's father in
Fitchburg. We have not had a recent winter where this has been
necessary and do not anticipate a need for this in the foreseeable future. On occasion, an organic winter squash or pumpkin might get tossed over the fence and smashed for all the cows to nibble. Pumpkin is thought to ward off worms (our puppy eats a spoonful every few days). 
She will likely decide to stay outside most of the winter through snowstorms and
rain, seeking shelter in the barn only when the weather is at its harshest and then, likely only for the occasional night. She will decide when she wants to be outside and when she
wants to be inside. As of this point in the year, our herd has chosen to stay out under the stars every night -- but it has not been cold -- only getting down to 20 degrees F thus far.
The mother will protect her initially. This morning a sister-cow came by to lick the calf. Mom pushed her away -- and not lightly. Message received. Coyotes are ever-present here (we have moved the chickens inside for protection) and a 300 pound bear has been present in the neighborhood and on the farm for the past few months. The herd will protect this new baby and the three other baby calves that were born earlier in the year. They do a great
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