In the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the Island of Misfit Toys is where all the unloved toys are sent. The toys all have problems, like the cowboy who rides an ostrich or the train with square wheels. Here at the ranch we have the barn of misfit calves. All of them unloved for some reason. All of them sent to the barn for the the nurse cows and I to care for and love.
The nurse cows allow us to raise calves that wouldn’t make it out in the pasture. A calf that has problems standing, a twin that gets left behind or a calf whose mother doesn’t have sufficient milk will either die or end up as a small “bum” calf. I get the calves that would never reach their full potential because they would either be sold as a baby or raised on a bottle. Once we had a calf that the cow stepped on and broke her back leg. I had to lift her up and steady her while she ate until she could do it by herself. She is now in the cow herd and raising good calves.
Out of almost 400 mama cows there are always some problems. This year I had 6 nurse cows with 17 calves on them. Of the 17 calves; 6 belong to the nurse cows, 4 orphans, 3 “spare” twins, and 4 off old, thin cows with bad bags. They are a lot of work from February to August. Twice a day I turn the cows in with the calves and then back out when the calves are done eating. In June I cut them back to mornings only and in August I will wean them. This fall those calves will match the “loved” calves we wean off the cows.
I enjoy watching the calves grow. They all have different personalities and habits just like the nurse cows. 2Y is the most stubborn, 415 gets very pushy if I don’t get the gate opened quick enough, 4450 is extremely jumpy, and 550 like having her ears scratched. The calves learn who their cow is and which gate to go through by the time they are a few weeks old. The cows also have preferences. Sugar and CoCo will take any calf I put on them and don’t mind if I have to get in and help the calf learn to suck. Candy is fine with any calf as long as she has her own also, but she does not tolerate stupid calves so they have to be able to go straight to nursing.
It is almost time to wean the calves. The cows and I need a break! The calves are big enough now that they are hard to push around!
Next year the barn will be open again for any unwanted and unloved babies.
Until next time!
Don’t forget to close the gate!