It's spring time in Colorado and we have finally gotten the long awaited moisture that we all have been praying for. Kendall's favorite saying these days as the rain is falling on the mountain is, "hills green, cows fat!" Well, the hills are definitely green and we are hoping for fat cows.
We decided to go in with family and get a couple of bottle fed calves this year because they are cheaper than a weened calf and end up being much friendlier. We got a little black and white Holstein we named Knuckle Head and my cousin Clint got a little Brown Angus we call Never. We are keeping them here in our barn and they are proving to be more work than we bargained for.
A few days after bringing them home they got what is called scours, a nice way to say "the runs." This is common in bottle fed calves but it requires more attention and more regular feedings of milk alternating with electrolytes to keep them hydrated.
For the first few days Kendall would get up in the middle of the night to go out and feed the little guys. He was a dedicated farmer and it really paid off. They are doing great and growing like weeds. I have been banned from tending to them because of the potential of exposure to whatever caused the scours. Common causes are salmonella and E-Coli, things we decided I probably should stay away from.
We got a few pictures of the little guys with my cousin's kids. They were here almost every day when we first got the calves but now the thrill is gone and they seem to visit less and less.
We hope to get them eating more grain and grass so they don't require so much milk. I think Kendall and my mom would like that seeing as how the job of feeding them has fallen on them for the most part.
No matter what, you can't dispute the fact that they are cute as can be. I love the spring with all of its bright green growth and baby animals around every corner. There's nothing better.
