Family Bonding

The view from my kitchen window for the past several days has been captivating.  I have twins!

Several days ago hubby was checking his mama cows and discovered a set of twins. They were small but healthy and still very new so he didn't disturb mama or babies.  Returning to check on them again the next day he discovered the mama cow and one baby in one place and the second baby lying some distance away.  Not a good thing.  While a cow will often place a calf in a spot with instructions to be still and wait for her (and he will be so still that you can almost step on them before they will move) she usually won't leave one of a set of twins by itself.

After some careful watching hubby decided that while she had bonded with one of the calves she didn't seem to realize that the other one was hers too.  Cows and calves instinctively know the scent and sound of each other within minutes of birth.  This allows the calves to unerringly find their mother and follow her immediately.  However, cows usually have one calf at a time, and she had evidently decided that one was all she was allotted.  The other calf would follow behind and attempt to nurse but she would look at him like he was a unwelcome surprise guest at dinner and move off.

Our son was of the opinion that the only thing to do was put the orphan calf in the barn and raise it on a bottle.  Sometimes if this happens we are able to graft the little one onto a cow that has lost a calf and everyone is happy.  Unfortunately we didn't have a foster mama handy.  That means I get to be the foster mama feeding the little one morning and night--been there, done that.  Hubby recognized the mutinous look on my face and suggested we might try another approach. 

He reasoned that she was a good mama cow and gentle, so maybe she just needed some time to reacquaint herself with her baby.  He patiently herded the little family up to the barn and placed them in an end stall.  There he bedded them down and gave  mama a flake of hay and some feed.  She looked around and decided this was all right.  Room service!  We kept a close watch on her for the first day.  She was a little confused by the second guest for lunch and dinner but wasn't mean about it.  Mostly just stepping out of reach or easing away.  She couldn't go far, so the baby was able to grab a nibble now and then.  That was good.  The calf remained in good health so we felt he was getting enough snacks to get along. 

After a day or two hubby rigged the barn where mama and babies could come and go into the barn lot.  I was excited to look out one morning at breakfast and see both babies come bouncing out of the stall.  Baby anythings are cute, but nothing is as cute to me as a little black calf just finding his world--unless it is two of them.  They are the most awesome combination of grace and clumsiness.  They leap with a lurch and land with a wobble  but with a wholehearted enthusiasm.  Everything is exciting to them.

As I watched, a barn cat wandered across the barn lot calling them to investigate.  On gangly, delicate legs they bound over to see this marvel.  The cat has been around a while so he ignores the babies and doesn't let his attention waver from the mouse at the corner of the barn.  Step by step they move closer to the cat.  They are almost nose to tail with the cat when the cat explodes in pursuit of the mouse.  With comic expressions on their faces they leap back, startled, and stumble frantically to mama for protection. 

Mama lowers her head and calls softly to her offspring.  With an anxious glance at the cat she nuzzles both her babies to be sure they are alright and reassures them that they are safe with her. Soon both are getting breakfast while mama watches out for marauding cats.

Mission accomplished.  Family complete.