I have decided not to try and milk Elsie again. She got progressively worse each time I tried and both of us ended up scraped and sore. (Me flinging myself totally across the room to miss a right cut to my jaw). I could not even get the cups near her yesterday. She kicked out every time I approached. Injuries can happen both for the cow (who was throwing herself about) and I – plus it is dangerous for the calf as well. On a normal day her ears are back all the time and you can see the whites of her eyes every time she whips her head around. Trying to milk her sent her over the edge. And when I tried to undo her tether in the milking shed she reared her head back and literally head-butted my hand. Deliberately. This was not a knee jerk kick. That behaviour is no good.
I am sure a more experienced dairy woman could handle her but I can’t.
Best for me to quit while I am ahead. I have a wee heifer and a Mama to feed her. That works. 
She is such a good mother though. Standing watch as baby sleeps and gently backing over to the calf when she stands up. Standing dead still when baby is drinking. She is deeply nervous and protective of her calf. But that is not her only problem – she does not like people – that is the main problem.
Sometimes the plan changes – it is important to recognise the change and turn with it. Tacking in a different direction to catch the wind. I am not getting into a battle of wills with this cow.
So yesterday she and her calf spent the day in the dim back room of the barn. The Cadet and I peeked at her every now and then. She had food and water and peace. Baby was drinking on and off and doing a lot of Day Two sleeping.
I am sure that Lady A will be much easier to milk. She is a totally different kind of cow. She loves to be patted and scratched, very calm, I can even hand feed her. So I have a feeling that she may be a better bet. Though I should not speak too soon. (Touching wood, dancing on one leg in a circle to the West). And she is not ready to calve yet, her udder is still quite small. Let’s hope at the very least she gives birth as easily as Elsie the Wild.
The chicks are all doing well. Such a good hatch rate. Only one egg not hatching. They sleep in under and around their Mama Table heater. They are so much quieter than chicks under lights.
The Cadet and The Chick.
Well I had better get going. Yesterday quite wore me out. I could go back to bed you know! But off to work we go. Me and my dogs.
The La Manchas – kidding around!
Good morning. We have some pretty wild squally storms galloping through. I will get out my big oil-skin raincoat and go out early and check the pigs in their huts – the kunes might want to come into the barn in all this lightning – I hope you all have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
88 responses to “Elsie The Wild”
That sounds like a very wise decision 😉
I always wonder about an animal’s “former life”, and do wonder what could have spooked Elsie in hers. Poor thing.
Wonderful pics Celi … sounds best to leave Elsie doesn’t it? Not worth upsetting either of you girls .. Take care 🙂
I think you’re wise. Motherhood is a powerful force of nature, and her innate distrust of people is only going to be exaggerated by her instinctive need to protect her baby. We need you safe, Miss C, and going two rounds with a cow mainlining motherhood hormones is not going to keep you safe. Sounds as if she’ll do an outstanding job of raising her baby, you’ll get to gentle the baby yourself, and it’ll all come round, just longer and later than you planned. Good luck!
I don’t think it is only her protectiveness. I have always been hesitant to go out in the field with her there, she is pretty confrontational as a rule.
Then you are even wiser to avoid going head to head with her! You are smarter, but she is much stronger, and very quick. Perhaps we should start call her Bruiser instead of Elsie, which is a name for a pretty, sweet girl, not a bolshie old moo!
True!
I am glad you know when to quit! I rather worried about you out there with Elsie. But since she is such a good mama, you still come out ahead. And such a precious little wee heifer you have!
It seems that your life is quite like a roller coaster – up and down and up and down. I wish you a bit of steady evenness for a while. Perhaps spring will bring that for you. Take care, c. xx
I know what you mean misky, I am just waiting for this latest squall to run through before running across to the barn and at 5.26 in the morning I am so tired the soles of my feet hurt. I think I need a whole day in bed though I cannot remember when that happened last.. oh I know – when i cracked the tailbone.. that had me lying down! . c
Work in some rest today please. A nice cup of tea and go sit with the animals this evening. Do a simple dinner – no cook if you have the ingredients…. Hugs and keep rolling with the tide (or cow licks…) Miss A will raise you a nice replacement and then she can go bye bye…
Aunty Del was delivering your cow licks this morning, She is a nice wee cow. c
When you–you!–think that you need a whole day in bed, guess what this means?
[Answer: It means that you NEED a whole day in bed. You know what you don’t need? To crack your tailbone before you do the sane thing to do. Trust your instinct and at least crash for a glorious, revitalizing siesta! You’ll be so much safer, alerter (ha), speedier and happier afterwards.] Thus ends today’s installment of Granny Nuri’s unsolicited advice. 😉
Thank you granny Nuri!! Love love.. c
That’s good news, always wise to know when to call a halt. She is a good mother and that is very good. One less thing to worry about x
You really are the most wonderfully inspiring person in terms of farming (and I have to say that I am a bit jealous of your successes when I just keep failing!) With my pigs and poultry and emus all happily re-homed, I have learned the hard way that sometimes things don’t work out in the expected ways. I am taking an autumn blogbreak in order to figure out what the hell I am still doing here on this farm that isn’t a farm. xxx
Maybe it is just a beautiful place to live? Maybe that is enough.
Poor Celie. You’re not having much luck with milk these days. I hope Lady A comes good for you. Pray that the storm doesn’t do any damage.
love,
ViV, in sunny AND warm Normandy
xox
Good call. Will the calf learn this attitude from her mama, or do you now plan to separate them?
I will not seperate them. The cow needs to be milked one way or the other, but the calves have a creep that they go into for their grain, the cows cannot follow so I will work with the calf in there so that she grows up tamer. She will have a halter in a week or so to help with this. I don’t want her growing up wild too. c
Our cows are great milkers. They could milk two calves if needed. But they are wild with humans. There is no way we could milk our cows. Well, except “Big Cow” who would let anyone milk her. Even the heifers born on the farm keep a distance, knowing nothing but kindness and new grass two or three times a day. I bottle fed a calf three times a day for four months. Total sweetie. I gave her a bottle and a pat. I could probably get her to do tricks. A year later, I see her in the field and she’s like ” and you are? do I know you?”
I’ve never had a milk cow, but I’m guessing they need the routine and close contact or they forget.
That said, there is a trick to milking Salers cattle. You must attach the calf to the cow or she won’t let down her milk. She needs to have the calf by her. This is how they make Salers cheese. Quite an operation. They do it in summer in the field.
Goodness, imagine a whole herd coming in with their calves for the milking.. is the cheese good? c
The cheese is amazing! ” Salers,” they call it. Similar to aged cheddar. Grass-fed and lovely. 17 Euros a kilo. We tell our paleo customers about it.
Sounds like my kind of cheese.. c
Have a happy day C.
🙂 Mandy xo
Do the minimum today and get some rest. Elsie the Wild will raise her baby for generation two. Take good care.
If you are not able to milk Elsie The Wild does that mean that she must make a departure from the Farm or could you just keep her for breeding…..
Take care Wonder Woman!
If someone wants to buy her I would sell her, but if she will take another calf i will reconsider that. c
Good decision, Elsie is just meant to be mom. That is disappointing though. Her dislike of humans is probably heightened by having a baby. Bank in Lady A for the milk, she is a lady after all, so she should have good manners!
Let it be, let it be …. I’m sitting here quietly wondering who/or what traumatised Elsie in her younger days, and sadly it looks like it all happened around her calving 😦 It is good news that she obviously wants to rear the calf herself. Is this not a ‘problem’ with the Dutchie breed perhaps, or are there herds that are dairy/house cows? Also remembered a poster in the lobby of the nursing home where my mom stayed shortly before her death, seems kind of applicable today : –
O God, give us the serenity to accept what cannot be changed,
The courage to change what can be changed,
and the wisdom to know the one from the other
abrev (Reinhold Niebuhr 1892-1971)
Laura