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Friday, December 07, 2007

Missing

Last week, against the wishes of certain people, (such as me and the girls) certain other people (who shall remain nameless) let the heifers back out on the hill. We had just gotten them in for Pete's sake, but they were tearing the wires off the tractor and getting in the way of feeding and barn cleaning. He brought them back down nights, but let them out days. Problem was there is a Jersey in the bunch who looks just like a deer (still deer season) and a springer that was ready to pop any day.

Of course the springer had her baby way out by the pond. And of course they couldn't bring her down because it couldn't walk and she was on the prod and yadda-yadda-yadda.

There are times you just keep your mouth shut and hope for the best, which, sadly, was not what we got.

Of course she came down without the baby. And of course when the kids and I went out to get it in off the icy fields it was gone. And of course there were calf tracks leading out of the pasture, through the fence, across two fields and down into a ravine. Of course they tapered off and vanished. Of course there were six sets of coyote tracks following them at a run, all the way from the cow pasture to the ravine. We let the mother out to look for it in case it was hidden, but she just wandered around mooing for it, with no luck at the actual finding part.

Alan kept taking relays of fresh flash lights out and tracking, but he just couldn't pick up the trail again where it disappeared in the ravine. He searched half the night to no avail. We looked for three days before we finally gave up and accepted that the coyotes must have taken it and dragged it away. They have gotten calves before, but I felt especially bad this time, because if only the mother had been left at the barn we could have gotten it in safely. Easily. I knew the boss felt bad too, although he would never say so, because if anybody mentioned it he just walked away.

Then night before last, I heard a little cry when I was walking over to milk. I couldn't tell if it came from the barn or down where the boss was down letting the heifers back into the barnyard from where they had been out on the hill. I thought to myself that it would be so wonderful if the baby had somehow survived and found the heifer herd, but I knew better. The last tracks were so far from the pasture, it had been three days, it is so cold and coyotes are so relentless.

I went in the barn and started setting up with a heavy heart. I just couldn't get the baby off my mind. The animals are our responsibility in this world and I can't help but take it seriously. Even though I had nothing to do with putting the mother back out in the field, I felt a deep guilt over it.

Then came the Christmas miracle. The boss walked in the door with a furry little black critter trotting at his heels. Somehow that baby had
escaped the coyotes, found her way back across a good half mile of unfamiliar terrain, and followed the heifers to the barn. A little later she latched right onto a bottle of milk and wagged her tail with what looked to me like sheer joy at being warm and fed. She had never seen a person, but she just loved folks from that first second. She even climbed out of the pen where we put her so she could watch the boss work on the feed cart yesterday. He said she stood there right beside him staring at the motor he was working on, so close he could feel her breath on his hands. I guess he is forgiven, because if she can, she follows him like a dog.

We rarely keep Milking Shorthorn Holstein cross calves as we have a registered herd. However, the first thing the boss said, after I got over the tears of joy that she was found was, "She stays, she earned it."

Her name is Toots.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a story - a real Christmas miracle! I simply can't understand how that calf survived. There really is something special here.

Rebecca Mecomber said...

Oh I am so happy for you all! That is beautiful. And you are such a mom. ;)

I know what you mean a little.. I get very concerned and worried when one of our cats goes missing for a few days.

I am thrilled to read that you are keeping the calf. God bless.

Rebecca Mecomber said...

I just read your story to my husband and kids. Sweet!

Jan said...

What a great Christmas story. What a great survival story. This is why I like blogs better than newspapers.

Stacy said...

I was just about to shed a tear or two, feeling sorry for the poor thing when I got to the part of the story where you heard the little cry. I just knew what was coming. Glad to hear Toots is an ornery little thing and gets to stay. Bet she's going to be tons of fun.

We need to see a picture of this little miracle.

chesneygirl said...

Came over here from Stacy's blog.

What a fantastic story!! Sounds like she was born to be a pet! :)

threecollie said...

NW, it was the best thing in weeks!

Mrs. M, We were thrilled too, you can imagine how much..and thanks

Jan, I felt real bad until she showed up at the barn..and I love blogs. There are so many great ones out there I don't have time to read them all!

Stacy, she sure is a tough little girl and I will get pictures as soon as I can

Chesney girl, thanks so much for visiting! I see you on Stacy's blog and I am delighted that you stopped by...she is already getting spoiled I think.

Anonymous said...

What a GREAT story. Thanks for sharing it.

Joni said...

Well I was thinking about the guilt you felt with the little lost calf. I just hate that. I feel the same way as you do. I am tickled that she found her way back to you! It is unusual so she damm sure earned the right to be in the herd. I LOVE her name. Reminds me of my nickname for the deceased dog... tootles. LOL.

Jesse said...

Amazing. I can't imagine how a newborn calf survived three days without eating. Must be the shorthorn. I know a purebred Holstein could never make it.
Interesting choice, shorthorn. Do you see a real improvement in the ease of calving? We used to use Herefords with the heifers years ago but anymore we use Holsteins. With the price of replacement heifers it is difficult to let a generation go.
How long do you normally keep these short/Holstein crosses and what are they sold for?
Great entry. Happy holidays, and keep up the great work.

threecollie said...

Hi Nyv, good to "see" you. Hope you are keeping warm on these miserable days...and thanks!

Joni, I worry so much when animals are sick or missing like this. Liz was calling her Toots when she was fooling with her when she came in and I suggested that it would make a good name. She is absurdly tame and smart as a whip

Jesse, thanks for visiting!
We decided to try a milking shorthorn bull for calving ease after using Jerseys and Angus for years. East coast angus are so darned mean that we gave up on them (My husband was nearly killed by a heifer we were raising for beef and the bulls were awful). The Jerseys are also mean and the calves have little resale value. We bought a top quality, dairy type sh bull and got the calving ease, plus outstanding temperament in one package. We have only assisted in a couple calvings in the four years we had him. Right now we have the blood typing all done and are just waiting for the boss to get time to haul him up to Dependabul in Verona to be drawn. Then we will use him AI for a few more years...and maybe sell some semen on him as he has a nice pedigree.
Whether we sell the calves early or raise them they bring a nice price for cross breds. Bulls go to beef raisers, heifers return to dairy. If you search for the word "broadway" on this blog you will find a heifer we are raising. Other then being red, when most are black she is pretty typical/ bulls seem much stockier. We have beefed one and like it

R.Powers said...

Go Toots!
What a wonderful tale and experience!

Windyridge said...

Oh! I was so hoping for a happy ending!! Hoorah!

Windyridge said...

I am going to link your story under my sort of Christmas blurb of this morning.

threecollie said...

FC, she is a pistol...just an amazing calf

WR, can't tell you how glad we are...and thanks!

Rosie said...

Awww...that's a wonderful story! Yay! Toots! It's pretty amazing how little animals will do that. Last Spring, Maggie lost her newborn for about 36 hours and I just figured dogs had gotten it. Then, he just showed up...like nothing had happened.

I think I might link to this today if that's alright?

Hayden said...

I'm here from Rosie's to join in the chorus....


"awwwwwwwwwwww"

nice story.