Little Black and White Moo Babies

So we are on to our next batch of calves. In my master farming-to-make-some-money plan I have decided to keep raising calves this summer as long as we have goat's milk to feed them. My theory is that we will raise three to butcher and sell the others when the food runs out or the market goes up. Two weaned calves are now outside in the big calf pen so the calf stall in the barn was open. Rob, Cole and I went over to the big dairy farm where we usually get our calves from to pick out a couple more. This is where the trial begins, because you see, Rob and I are exact opposites. He likes to logically think things through, weigh the consequences and the price, and delay any type of a decision as long as he possibly can. Me? I jump in with both feet then look back to wonder what in the world I was thinking.

We stood at the calf shed for nearly an hour as Rob looked at all the little calves; whispering sweet nothings into their ears.

Checking out their legs and their feet.

And giving them full body massages in his quest to try to figure out which ones might live and which ones he might have to dig a big hole for.

I stood on the other side of the fence giving my advice "Honey, I like the black ones. Let's get the black ones. Just get the black ones!" I am growing in graciousness and submission like that. He is growing in patience. If it had been up to me they would have been home, fed and tucked into their little straw beds in the time it took him to look. The way it ended up there was nobody left to sell them to us by the time we half decided and it took two more trips over to the farm before we were able to bring them home. Yes, we got the two black ones. They are living and thriving in my little goat barn enjoying their fresh goats milk.

And for my records (because I will forget by next summer), my recipe for success to raising bottle calves on goats milk.

3 feedings per day for the first week of 2 pints of warm goats milk each.

After 1 week, 2 feedings per day of 3-4 pints each.

Average of four more weeks of 2 feedings per day, 4 pints each feeding, twice a day, until they are eating 3# of calf grain each. All the hay and water they want, then gradually wean them off the milk.