What is the definition of a herd of cows anyway? How many does one need to have a herd? Because yesterday Lady Astor gave birth to a lovely tiny, tiny heifer. She also has no belt at all, just a tiny bit of white on her side and her belly. But she is so delicate and so small, she weighs as much as a small goat. Her mother is not protective at all. In fact she showed such a huge lack of interest that I had to dry the baby off myself. Lady A was much more interested in catching up on her dinner. Spraying her calf with dry alfalfa. 
Which I then had to clean off. Meet Naomi. Naomi was named straight away. She is very sweet almost mystical.
After about Four hours the baby was still not standing well and had not had a drink so I carried her across to her mother and leaned her on my leg, guiding her head into her mothers udder and literally popping the teat into her mouth. She had a good drink while her mother ate again. Lady lifted her leg up and down a few times but let the baby feed. 
After that I felt comfortable enough to go to bed myself. I have decided that I will bottle feed Naomi myself. We have bonded. And every time I go near Potter her mother barks her danger, danger bark and tries to get rid of me. Getting close enough to this cow to train her to feed a precious tiny calf seems like a mad idea at this point.
Lady A on the other hand does not mind me sitting with her calf and did not even mind when Aunty Del reached over the divide trying to see who had arrived.
Soon I will go out and milk Lady Astor. There will be some resistance but I really don’t expect it to be as bad as Elsie. The calf will come into the milking shed too. So it will be a bit chaotic. But it is the best way to train the cow to let her milk down for me.
Yesterday I opened up the calf creep (a small pen off the big cow pen designed just for calves) and Potter has immediately decided that this is her perfect sleeping space. No big cows can fit through the door – it is the calf safe space, and a celi safe space, with deep straw bedding, no enormous cow pats and later this is where the calves will find their grain. I was able to go in there with Potter a number of times yesterday and play with her and speak to her. It works very well.
Good morning. Life just got very interesting. Two new heifers. Goodness. No beef. So I will be buying two beef calves this summer, probably weanlings. I will start to call around tomorrow. My job is to feed the families remember. This is not a petting zoo though there is lots of petting. I grow food the old fashioned way.
Join Us, the page above, is making for some great reading. I love this page and wander through often to remind myself of the power of the Fellowship. (That is you by the way, whether you are a reader or a reader who comments, you are a member of the Fellowship of the Farmy). So if you are new to the Kitchens Garden don’t forget to pop in and introduce yourself.
Which reminds me. I have to do some work on The Cast page. But not ’til after the milking and the chores and visiting the Old Codger who is back from wintering in California.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farm,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
85 responses to “The Herd welcomes Naomi”
All of these surprises when I open my blogs lately. One must wonder if Poppy will be the next in line for a surprise morning read. Congratulations to you and Lady Astor, although I hope that she takes some interest in her girl for your sake so your work load remains at chaotic but not overwhelming.
It works out fine if she leaves the baby to me. I will bottle feed her. And now we can milk Lady A twice a day and have milk for the pigs and calves and chickens and ice-cream and butter too! Life is definitely getting better! c
Wow, surprise surprise surprise….. Two calves within the same week! That worked out well I guess. And now you have MILK and CREAM!!! And two heifers at that! So that makes your dairy operation in the future very productive. Maybe the rathouse needs to turned into a milking dairy barn…. But let’s not count our gallons before they age.
And for any of the Fellowship that were in the path of the storms yesterday – I hope all are okay….. Let us know if you need anything, praying for everyone.
The wind was incredible in the night.. but luckily no bad ones up here. They were South of us I think.. so I also hope all is well with everyone.. c
What a little beauty! Good morning to all. xx
Morning Misky!
Good morning, darling. Did you hear that my beautiful little Molly is blind now? She lost her sight while I was on holiday with my grandchildren.
really. poor old molly, at least she is still in her own home so she knows where everything is? Does she still get around alright? c
It’s a great struggle for her but we all learning how to cope with this. Life is a string of lessons. Hadn’t counted on this one though.
YAHOOO!!!!! So exciting to hear about Naomi, and that Lady Astor is letting you milk her! Milk for all from now on!!! So wonderful!!! I am anxiously awaiting for our goats to kid in May, as we have been missing their milk like crazy! xoxoxo
Hallo sweet Naomi and congratulations to momma and nursemaid alike! I’m also glad to hear of the Ild Codger’s return. Stay warm, Celi!
Naomi looks like a proper wee beauty. Congratulations and al the best in your role as nanny.
Yippee. Bravo Lady A and Naomi. You probably have the best of both worlds to be milking Lady A and bottle-feeding Naomi. Do you have to feed her at night as well? If so, I hope you can catch a bit of sleep some time. What an exciting place your farmy is. I hope Elsie calms down a bit, otherwise life could get difficult for you. I’d been wondering about Codger – lucky chap missing the Illinois winter! Give him my regardes and welcome back.
Love, Viv in sunny warm Normandy.
Naomi does not need to be fed during the night as long as she is eating well in the daytime. c
That’s a relief.
Spring is about new beginnings . Lady Astor’s laissez-faire attitude towards mothering is okay since she has you as a nanny.
perfect for a house cow really.. c
A great big Congratulations to the latest new arrival. The name Naomi was in my thoughts yesterday, I was thinking of a friends daughter who has that name and drifted on to other Naomis I have known, Enjoy the milking, bottle feeding and building up the trust with the littleones!
She is aptly named isn’t she!
Lots of females on The Farmy miss c! Congratulatins to you all on the growing herd (and it’s most definitely a herd now). I guess like us women, cows are all different temperments too – earth mothers and rock chicks, you have them all 😉
Good luck….you’re a sort of Florence Nightingale:)
How exciting! Welcome little Naomi!
Most adorable calf……I love spring for so many reasons….
Naomi, very biblical…You have got some strange cows…One cow is difficult but loves her baby, the other cow is easy going but not interested in Motherhood or is it Cowhood….Best of luck with milking etc rather you than me!