Why

Was the calf in the kitchen? Well, it is pretty cold here still, although much warmer than last week's deep freeze. This guy was born either two weeks early or ten days late (not sure, but I am going with late) and he was walking around the barn when the boss and Liz got there Sunday morning.

It was cold.
He was wet and cold
His mama is a first calf heifer who had no clue what to do.

So Liz washed him with hot water in the milk house, dried him as best as possible, buckled him into a calf coat and then replaced that coat with a fresh, dry one when he was all dried out.

He reacted by getting out of the collar she tied him up with and falling in the gutter behind the cows while they were over at the house.

He was soaked, filthy and shivering so Alan gave him a second bath...however I didn't figure the calf coats were going to be sufficient to warm him. And although the Blitz cow was willing to be a substitute mama when he was just wet, this new form of wet was not so interesting to her.

Thus the kids carted him over to the house and put him in the big dog crate overnight so he could get truly warm and dry. As of last count he was fine, back at the barn, drinking up his bottle eagerly, so far none the worse for his adventures.