January's Story

Every once in awhile, we bottle feed a calf. Either the mother rejects it, has died, or some other complication arises. In January's case, her mother gave birth to her during a sleeting and cold January day on a muddy hill and walked away. We're grateful I saw the birth and was able to get her on my tractor and into our warm mud room by the wood stove.

We tried reuniting her with mama, but mama wasn't interested. Sometimes, you get a cow who won't care for her calf. Thankfully, January took to her new home in our calf pen and came to expect her bucket of milk replacer twice a day.

Three months later, she's a thriving, happy calf and starting to eat grass with the rest of the herd - but she still comes back for her bucket every day.

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