Monday.

A fresh start. It seems as though last week was the longest single day every.

Recap-Case 1:Bing Crosby

the calf born on Christmas Eve that we were having to bottle feed died. He got an infection early on and we treated-penicillin. Keep in mind the fact that we even had to use antibiotics bothered me. We try to keep things as natural as possible.

Anyways Bee had taught the calf to nurse on his mother and he seemed to be doing really well. Apparently her milk production had dropped and the calf wasn't getting enough milk. We had a necropsy performed since he died suddenly and hadn't shown any signs. This was last Monday. The infection the calf had gotten in the beginning had caused a whole in his brain. No one knew, he didn't act weird. The whole month that we cared for him and bottle fed him meant nothing, we wasn't going to make it anways.

Case 2: McJagger

Last sunday Anne finally had her calf all on her own, no delivery problems that we knew of at the time. Everything seemed okay, we took his measurements-another bull calf-and that was that. Did I mention that he showed symptoms of Albanism-as in one of his eyes was albino. You could see right through it I kid you not.

Come Tuesday he had fallen ill. Another vet visit, intensive care. At one point this calf was laying on a yoga mat covered with a blanket and straw in front of our fire place for 36 hours. He had no suck reflux so he wasn't receiving nutrition. In order to save him we had to place a tube down his throat and feed him that way. I know-I must be a cruel person. A truly cruel person would have left him to die right then and there. Turns out the mucous from being inside the womb had gotten into his airways and he was having trouble breathing.

Thursday morning he seemed miserable but he was starting to stand up and walk around the house a little. We decided that maybe he wanted the comfort of his mother so we put them together.

Because of his Albanism the vets could see behind his eye there was blood and swelling. There was nothing we could do, by midnight his nervous system was damaged and he didn't make. Part of that damage caused him to steer from his insticts and not nurse.

Case 3: Pansy-cow of case 1

Because her calf had passed and she was a first time mom she was very distressed. She balled for days at the fence, in the barn, it didn't matter where she was. A distressed cow is a dangerous cow-she'd lost her young. And who could blame her, she doesn't understand that he's gone and can't come back.

We decided to make a few phone calls and see if we could get her to adopt a little dairy calf. If all else failed she wouldn't and we'd have to bottle feed. His name is Miles Davis and is a Holstien bull calf-very cute. Miles belongs to Bee actually and he seems to enjoy himself.

It actually worked, she nurses him occasionally so we supplement with the bottle twice a day. I am very impressed and glad that Pansy feels better taking care of Miles than being alone.

All in all it's been a long grueling week. I helped Bee scrape 2500 lbs of 40 year old roofing tar off his grandparents' garage and I'm tired. What I want right now is for 2:00 to come so I can get some tea and sit for a few minutes with the love of my life.