Calving season ended a few weeks ago, with the last two heifers deciding to give birth on the same bitterly cold night. The brown heifer's calf was a big strong bull, who somehow slipped through the fence overnight and we found him in the next paddock, lost and hungry but still feisty. Unfortunately the other heifer had to have some vet assistance with hers the following morning, and her beautiful heifer calf was stillborn. I'm thankful that the poor mother did not show any sign of concern for her baby though. She was quite content to walk back to the paddock with the brown heifer and leave her dead calf. It breaks my heart when they are upset about it.
The last of the babies went out to the paddock last week, the same day that we had a surprise birth in the milking herd. A very sweet, gentle Jersey heifer calf. Her mother didn't care for her at all and left her behind in the paddock. We put the little one in the shed and fed her the important colostrum we took from her mother. She now has a friend in the pen with her, an older "brownie heifer" who's come back for treatment of mild scours.
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We had last weekend off, and Skuggi got to come with me to the mall for some training. He did so well! Yesterday we finally braved Woolworths as well which he also did amazing with. I'm so excited about working with him and seeing what adventures we have in the future.
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