Post by Lannie on Oct 29, 2011 13:35:10 GMT -5
This is actually kind of sweet, but it could mean trouble down the road...
The last week or so, I've been noticing that Cricket's calf, Bonk (AKA Number Five), has been spending an AWFUL lot of time with his gramma, Bandit. Any time I look out in the pasture, Cricket is over there, and Bonk is over THERE with Bandit. Cricket doesn't seem to mind, and Bonk always goes back to Cricket for his milk.
A couple days ago, I came outside and realized Bonk had gotten through the cross fence and was in the horse pasture. He was having a BLAST, running around exploring all the new things, fighting with the compost pile (why do they all do that? It's SO funny!)... meanwhile, Cricket was out grazing unconcernedly, and it was Bandit that was standing on her side of the fence, mommy-mooing to baby Bonk. She looked SO concerned!
Rich and I tried to herd Bonk back to the other side, but he wasn't done playing yet, so we didn't try too hard. We did quite enjoy watching him attack that compost pile over and over and over. Finally, he started to get tired and slow down, and Bandit was VERY distressed, so I went over and opened the gate in the cross fence a little (had to watch Bandit and make sure she didn't bolt through after Bonk! LOL!). Rich managed to get Bonk over close enough to where I was that I opened the gate a little more and he ran back through. Cricket looked up then, but went right back to grazing. Bandit went over Bonk with a fine toothed comb to make sure he was unhurt from his adventure.
Yesterday afternoon when we went out to move last year's winter cow poop pile (which should have been done last spring), Cricket was up on the hill grazing, and Bandit was in the cow corral with Bonk, washing him. She obviously wants to be somebody's mommy. I just hope he doesn't try nursing, because I'm afraid she'd let him, and I'm trying to dry her off now.
In a way, this is a good thing, because I think she could be a nurse cow if I wanted her to be. She's never shown anything more than mild interest in Cricket's calves before, so this is totally new behavior for her. Maybe it was because we took Taz away from her suddenly, rather than gradually. She just wasn't done being a mommy yet, I guess. Anyway, as risky as it might turn out to be later, it IS kind of heartwarming to see.
~Lannie
The last week or so, I've been noticing that Cricket's calf, Bonk (AKA Number Five), has been spending an AWFUL lot of time with his gramma, Bandit. Any time I look out in the pasture, Cricket is over there, and Bonk is over THERE with Bandit. Cricket doesn't seem to mind, and Bonk always goes back to Cricket for his milk.
A couple days ago, I came outside and realized Bonk had gotten through the cross fence and was in the horse pasture. He was having a BLAST, running around exploring all the new things, fighting with the compost pile (why do they all do that? It's SO funny!)... meanwhile, Cricket was out grazing unconcernedly, and it was Bandit that was standing on her side of the fence, mommy-mooing to baby Bonk. She looked SO concerned!
Rich and I tried to herd Bonk back to the other side, but he wasn't done playing yet, so we didn't try too hard. We did quite enjoy watching him attack that compost pile over and over and over. Finally, he started to get tired and slow down, and Bandit was VERY distressed, so I went over and opened the gate in the cross fence a little (had to watch Bandit and make sure she didn't bolt through after Bonk! LOL!). Rich managed to get Bonk over close enough to where I was that I opened the gate a little more and he ran back through. Cricket looked up then, but went right back to grazing. Bandit went over Bonk with a fine toothed comb to make sure he was unhurt from his adventure.
Yesterday afternoon when we went out to move last year's winter cow poop pile (which should have been done last spring), Cricket was up on the hill grazing, and Bandit was in the cow corral with Bonk, washing him. She obviously wants to be somebody's mommy. I just hope he doesn't try nursing, because I'm afraid she'd let him, and I'm trying to dry her off now.
In a way, this is a good thing, because I think she could be a nurse cow if I wanted her to be. She's never shown anything more than mild interest in Cricket's calves before, so this is totally new behavior for her. Maybe it was because we took Taz away from her suddenly, rather than gradually. She just wasn't done being a mommy yet, I guess. Anyway, as risky as it might turn out to be later, it IS kind of heartwarming to see.
~Lannie