CALVES ARE THEY A NAME OR NUMBER
This year I went from a busy holiday season into over a month-long bout with flu, pneumonia and vertigo and arrived exactly on time for our favorite, busiest and sometimes most challenging time of the year… Calving Season. Having a more than casual interest in obstetrics it is no surprise that I feel the most connected to the farm when we are preparing for and in the throes of having new calves. Like people, there is much preparation before the big day arrives.
Six to eight weeks after the first calf is born the bull and a friend goes to their own corner of the world to eat, relax, grow and eat! Believe it or not making babies with 35 cows burns a lot of calories. If nothing else just following the ladies all over the paddock to find just the right cow at just the right moment becomes quite the work out. I will leave the other exercise to your imagination. Since most of the cows have their calves within a few weeks of each other that means that they also come into estrus or heat within a couple of months of each other. Since we want to keep the births grouped together and try to have them calf during the weather that best suits this joyful event, we keep the bull and cows separated until the right day according to Randy’s calculations. (Remember last year during this time of separation is when I broke my leg helping Randy repair the fence that the bull destroyed… (Actually, I was running from an imaginary snake but that is an old story.) Therefore, during the winter and spring months the bull’s job is to eat and grow so he can be his most fit self for the task ahead. I am sure there are humans that would like to lay claim to this vocation or has and just doesn’t admit it…. eat, grow, gain weight, have sex, eat, grow, gain weight, and have sex…. But without the bull the cows would only be expensive yard ornaments.
While the bulls are dining on a special diet of corn and the best hay we can provide, the cows are busy having and raising calves. The mama’s diets are very important because not only do they have a calf growing inside of them that will have a birth weight between 80 and 90 pounds, but they also will need to provide the still nursing calf with nutrition; that baby that will double their birth weight in no time. The drought this year and the shortage of hay along with the extended cold season that has affected the growth of grass have been challenging. The cows have other dilemmas such as the stresses of snowstorms, blizzards, rain, wind, mud and predators that also burn extra calories in addition to their daily needs.
Once the calves are all here and a few weeks have passed since the last calf has been born, the process starts all over again. The Bull will make his grand appearance, happily doing the job he has spent the last several months for which he has been preparing. It is rather like a cattle version of speed dating with an added benefit, so to speak. Eventually the calves will be weaned so the mothers can continue to gain their weight back. The bull and the cows will cohabitate until six weeks after the first new calf of that year. That brings us back to where we are now; the bull is lying in wait for the day he can go back to work. As an aside we keep a friend (this year a friend and her late October baby) with the bull to keep him company. Cattle are herding animals, and they are happiest when they are part of a herd; even if that herd is 2 or 3 members. They need companionship and the bull needs someone to boss around.
The cow’s diet is important just like
that of any lactating or pregnant mama. There are all kind of things that
can go wrong if they get too much grass or not enough protein or too much
protein or too much potassium… not enough magnesium… too much calcium. They are
provided different types of minerals depending on what time of year and what
their diet consist of at that time. The mineral has replaced what many of
us remember in the way of a salt block. It isn’t as simple a cow grazing
in the pastures as I once thought. It is all about balance. Because
there are so many things that can go wrong in their diet, during changes in
weather or a storm and in the birthing process, checking the cows often is
vital to their safety and wellbeing. Therefore, Randy walks amongst them
at least once a day, every day of the week and up to three times a day during
calving time. Because he knows the cows and their behaviors, he easily
picks up on changes and quickly goes into action to remedy the situation.
The cows recognize that he is there with them because he cares
about their welfare.
Just as in human
babies the initial feeding of colostrum to the newborn calf is very important;
in fact, it is vital to its survival. It is important for the calf to
suck from their mother within a couple of hours of being born. In
addition to its high
nutritive value, colostrum provides antibodies needed to protect newborn
calves from many infections that may lead to diarrhea and death. If the
calf does not receive colostrum within a few hours of birth it
decreases its ability to absorb the antibodies which will decrease its ability
to ward off infections. The calves are not born with natural immunities,
these all come from the colostrum. Especially when a calf is born on a
brutally cold day the warm colostrum increases the new calf’s body heat and can
prevent hypothermia. For all of these and many more reasons, it is
crucial that the cows are checked, and time is spent observing them each day.
One of the most endearing things the
cows do for each other is to baby sit or share in calf-care duties. It is
not unusual to find two or more calves with one or two cows in a corner or at
the top of a hill away from the other mothers. This seems to occur more when
the calves are younger; the weather is inclement, and the young calves are more
vulnerable to predators. The cow in charge treats everyone like her own
and if she decides to move or return them to their own mother, she calls them
all to follow her and makes sure she doesn’t leave anyone behind. When
the mothers that have had a break are finished grazing, they will join the
group and reclaim their baby. They look appreciative of the break.
In our herd it seems to be an older cow that is most often found babysitting
the playful young calves. She is very patient yet very attentive. She is most
often called “Grandma.” I share in and relate to her protective nature with her
babies, grandbabies and other youngsters. You can
see that she has raised many and is very relaxed in their games. She lets them roam just far enough to feel independent and to start learning the ropes, but they are never out of sight and are always under her watchful and loving eye. The other mothers know that their babies are safe with her and when the group is large more than one cow joins her in the chore of babysitting.
Just as you see the patient older cows you see the frenzied younger mothers trying to be the best possible and protective mother. It always brings a smile to my face when I see the mother peacefully grazing with her calf in close proximity; all of a sudden, she sees the calf racing down the hill with a group of hellions and off she goes. I immediately connect with the look of frustration on her face; it is as though she wants to say, “where are those kids going now?”
Off she goes like a rocket, racing right behind them running as fast as her legs will take her until she has caught up with her baby, has it where she wants it and she can return to grazing with her calf close enough to assure they are safe. Sometimes when the calves start running and the mothers start chasing you are sure there is a stampede in process, but it is simply mothers chasing down the kids to make sure they stay safe. The majority of mother’s are not overly protective, although you will find occasionally there is a cow that prefers to keep her calf away from the bad influence of others if she can. The cows know that they must let the calves have more and more independence. The calves need to learn the lessons that will help them to be safe as they grow. They will learn to eat hay, grass and mineral, they will learn that electric fence bites and there is safety in numbers. They know that the day will come when the calves will need to be on their own and the cows allow them the freedom to learn their lessons but not at the expense of getting in harm’s way. The day will soon come that these calves will become the mothers and the babysitters, so their mother’s do the best to prepare them for their vocation. It is a good reminder for humans that it is our job to raise our children in such a way that when we are not here or near enough to protect them that they will feel confident that they know what to do to care for themselves and to become responsible and loving parents.
With the help of Randy’s history with the cows I have noticed that “Goofy” mothers tend to produce more “Goofy” calves. It really isn’t that different than humans as we are all products of our genes and environment. Very often the calves pick up the mother’s idiosyncrasies and you quickly recognize the mother’s temperament in the baby.
Randy knows the calves by the number on their ear tags. The numbers are part of their lineage. He knows who their mothers, grandmothers and cousins are because of that number. He easily remembers the numbers because he relates it to information that is important to him. When he looks at a number he can recall where they were born, who their mother and grandmother was, what traits, good or bad, that they may have inherited from their elders or pass to their children.
As we were riding around on the four-wheeler a few days ago while checking cows, Randy and I started having a conversation about a calf that we have been watching closely because of an apparent injury that was causing her to limp. This calf had lost her ear tag and Randy told me who her mother was by number. I reminded him that the calves name was “Lizzie”, and she was the second heifer born this spring. Of course, he could tell me the number of all her relatives and remembered her number even though the tag had gone missing. He told me, “I’m not use to the calves having names.” Randy loves numbers. He still admires our high school math teacher, and each number is a memory. I came late to this game so the numbers are still just numbers, but I can remember names. Randy warns me that naming them will make it more difficult when it comes time to go to the sale barn. I heard what he said but I find it difficult not to call the calves by a name.
As this year’s babies started coming on,
I considered Randy’s point about giving the calves names. Last year was
the first time I named a few and helped care for them from birth to the sale
barn. It was tough… saying goodbye to Star Shine and her brother Velvet,
Blaze and Al… but when we started weaning them and feeding them twice a day, I
became very attached to most of them. There were several that I developed
a relationship with because they connected me when we fed them and eventually
realized the added benefit of being my friend was the head scratches they could
receive if they were brave enough to become my friend. There was number
1826 who had a bump on her nose that I found to be charming, and she
appreciated all the love I could dish out, then there was 1809 that would butt
other’s away from me so she could get my undivided attention, of course there
was 1720 and 1804…. If my recall for numbers was better, I could go on
and on…. Before I knew it numbers became names. 1809 had won my heart and
I became connected to her just as much as Star Shine. Randy recognized
each one of the calves by their number; hence, their number became their
names. Having a name like Al or a name like 1620 doesn’t change our
connection with the calves.
If we truly connect to people, animals or nature with our hearts and spirits knowing their names is not important. When we honor anything in nature, animal, plant, or human we realize that we depend on each other for everything… food, shelter, survival, love, comfort, companionship and protection. It takes all of us to make this planet earth run smoothly, to maintain and reproduce our natural resources that we need to survive and thrive.
When something happens to someone or something to which we are connected, names become irrelevant. It is their spirit or essence that we recognize and to which we connect. It is that part of them that is connected to that part of us that makes the whole. That part of us that allow us to feel their pain, delight in their joy and honor their spirit. When something happens to one of us… it happens to all of us. The fact that they have a name, a number, you know their name, or you have no knowledge of their name has no bearing on how we connect with their energy.
As we see news reports, read articles or see something on Facebook, if we are connected to our own spirit, we more readily able to acknowledge the spirit of other’s. We become more compassionate, more present to the needs of other’s and more available to give and receive love.
Love is the only thing that we have that by giving it away it increases our ability to have more. The more we give love the larger our capacity is to receive love. Whether we know a person’s name has nothing to do with our ability to convey love, compassion, kindness, or empathy as long as we are connected to the divine in ourselves.
Whether I know the name of the person I see injured in a news cast or not, my prayers are equally heard, and the love is as easily sent and received. As is it with our new babies each year; regardless, if Randy calls the calf 3624 dash 1 or I call her Lizzie, our concern for her wellbeing is just the same. We both love her and care that she has experienced something traumatic that has brought her pain and injury. When these steers go to market it won't matter if it is 3820 dash 3 or Black Max, it will be difficult to say goodbye; but we do with the knowledge that next year Moonbeam will give us a beautiful new calf and maybe 2. Randy will call them by a number, and I will call them by name and we will both love and care for them equally.
Now you know why
I Love the Farm
And
I Love You Randy!
