Good Medicine

So – there was this Due Date of April 14, 2015 around here.  Too bad we weren’t able to put any money down on the odds at Cal-Neva.  It actually happened.

 

Our Molly – Born 4-14-2015. Photo taken 4-28-2015.

Meet Molly!  I love Netflix.  They introduced me to the series, “Monarch of The Glen” – where there’s the wonderful Matriarch named Molly!  Adored her sense of humor and her sneaky personality!  I could not resist naming this precious angel in the honor of that character.  Besides – I’m a fan of Susan Hampshire!

Our Molly is already learning to answer to anything – almost.  Molly Moo – Moo – Moll – Baby Girl!!

Having her here has been good medicine for me.  And so far – imprinting a lovable sense of being has been working.  At any given moment – this little princess will come strolling up and just wrap herself around my legs – press against me and just wait for me to love her back!

Getting her to accept bottle nursing was a nightmare for both of us during the first couple of days.  We. Tried. EVERYTHING.  She is the tiniest calf born on this property.  And those standard calf nursing bottles were more than twice the size of her entire head.  The nipples would have suffocated her.

We were so desperate.  One of the guys at Dwayne’s job told him they used glass bottles.  I’m thinking the old-fashioned Coke bottles.  Ya’ know?  The original size bottles.  The REAL ones!  Nowhere to be found.

Finally – while racing to run errands – we stopped at a Weigels for a soda and snack.  And to much of my surprise – I found Perfection that could kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

 

Sometimes… Ya’ just gotta go with whatever works!

Oh, yes – My cartoon imagination went into full color.  And I love the Watermelon Mimosa!  Never had tried them before.  So, Dear Smirnoff – You gained a new customer through desperation to feed a newborn calf!  And yes – we did wait to get home before opening the bottles!

That very moment – when the light goes off.  She got a taste of the milk replacer.  Instantly – there was NO vacuum cleaner on this planet that had a thing on this girl.  She went nuts.  And it was beyond being clear fact.  This baby girl was starving!  She’d been hanging on by a thread for a couple days.  The only milk she’d been getting was what we managed to squeeze into her mouth from the nipple.  No wonder she was drinking so much water!

Took a few minutes before the shock switched over to uncontrollable giggling!  This baby girl was scarfing down the milk replacer.  And I knew she’d demand more.  But I also knew it was better to let her tummy adjust.

Within a week later – that moment came.  She managed to yank that nipple off the bottle.  Imagine – if you will – chasing a tiny calf around a stall to get the pacifier out of her mouth!  She was frantic!  Running around searching for the milk – thinking she’ll find it if she just keeps sucking on that nipple.  She’s getting nothing but air – and getting pissed!  I’ve never considered the vision of a calf turning a bottle nipple into a new version of the ‘Whoopi cushion.’  Mini farts from the stall grabbing attention from Cora – who was drinking water from the trough in the other stall!

 

Molly’s great at making upside down mustaches! Photo taken 5-8-2015.

Yeah.  It was Graduation Day.  We moved on to the standard calf nursing bottles.  Within a week – she went to a full bottle twice each day.  And everyone that’s ever had to stock Milk Replacer knows the price of that stuff.  Outrageous for the amount used on a daily basis.

But we got lucky!  Cora’s right quarters began threatening.  Her new calf was just too little to handle those teats on that side.  Dwayne calls ‘em Cora’s Firehose Nozzles.  “You were calling her a School Bus, last month.  Now she’s a Fire Truck?”

Who cares?  There was beauty to be found in those 6+ quarts of fresh milk we were stocking in the fridge!  Saving grace on the wallet.  Best nutrition for Molly!  And the Milk Replacer is now a fill-in for the 2 quarts going into her bottles that she’s now takes 3 times each day.

However – It won’t be long before the supply goes down.  Buddy is growing and beginning to take in more milk from his Mama.  This means we’ll be using more of the Milk Replacer before weaning at 3 months.  Thanking God – we’ll be able to wean both calves at the same time.

It’s become more than obvious that both calves are benefitting from Cora’s milk.  For those of you that have not seen the video I caught the other day – Here ya’ go!  Molly’s wearing red.  Buddy’s wearing blue.