Prone Cats and Sleeping Calves

John has so much work now that he is working six days a week, leaving at 4 in the morning and not getting home until after seven. Lady Astor and I wait for him. John has an habitual cough and when she hears him cough, as he walks from his truck to the barn after pulling in, she will move into the milking shed. Until then she stands outside the door and watches me watch her.

Thank goodness I have Tomoyo in the kitchen.

The calves in the West Wing Barn all ate hard and fast yesterday. Though the milk was at half strength again. We will slowly work up. They need some good nutrition now but I am so afraid of relapses.  By evening they drop off a bit but they are getting stronger.  Soon though the owners of these calves will come back and take them home. Let’s hope everyone is alive.

Little I will keep and maybe one of the other calves I have not made up my mind yet.

Little had two episodes yesterday when I was sure he was dying,  he was prone – flat – like this ..

I called John and said I think he is dead, and when I turned back he was sitting up looking at me with that bemused expression calves have.

But each time he rallied. And is actually drinking more. By yesterday afternoon he was  walking about in his pen sniffing things. Closely monitored by Nanny Boo of course (Boo barks to me from inside the pen – though I am not sure why – I am so tired now that I cannot even understand Dog. But I always go out to check the baby just in case). I have spent almost a week forcing that calf (and one other)  to drink but now he drinks on his own so that is an improvement. But we will see. It is up to him really.  He is nowhere near well so I am not letting my hopes rise  up.

All the calves are drinking quite a bit of cold water from their barrels so that is a good sign.

Mr Flowers is losing his summer feathers at such a rate it looks like he pushed an eject button. I am collecting them.  They are beautiful and so very long. We will have to decide what to do with them. I still miss Godot, the funny wee chap, but we cannot blame Mr Flowers for doing as nature intended. Though I want to.

Even the old roosters are fighting lately. Must be the time of year.

Even with all the troubles the garden keeps on producing. I am dehydrating tomatoes and making tomato sauce as fast as I can.  There are not as many as there should be with the wet start to the season.

I promised Amanda that I would show some of the grubby farm shots.  This is grubby.  And I am only just starting the  clean up that comes from having a sick animal in the barn. Then there will be lots of clean.

I hope you have a lovely day.

Your friend on the farm

celi

ps. This morning Little Bobby stood up and mooed. I have never heard his voice before.  I warmed a bottle of milk and went out and fed him. He drank greedily then after a while he lay back down under his tree. This was the best I have seen him be. And he smelt different this morning.

Did I tell you that there is a big grey heron roosting in the big tree outside the bedroom window? When I go out in the night he flaps his huge wings at me. He is an enormous bird.  I will try and get a sunset picture of him for you.