Stonehedge Farm: Spring on the Farm

Spring has come to central NY... Hot has been the word of the day this past week with temps hitting the low 90s (F). Looking forwards to this coming week and the cooler temps in the mid 70s.

The farm is running smoothly. The baby calves.. the bottle fed kids are doing well. April is off and running with the big cows and her new mom (Mazie). Mazie's calf this year is Charlie.. and he is in the barn being bottle fed. I don't think it was so much that Mazie didn't want him.. I think she did. She certainly tried. He was nursed as an infant. But when it came time to let the big cows go to pasture.. Charlie just never went.. She did try.. She came back every day for almost 3 wks to try to get him to come with her. She would stand there and yell at him. She would wash him and nurse him. She came to the barn with April in tow and stayed the whole day trying to get him to come. It was like she was babysitting. But Charlie (#12) just never went. And one day.. she just went with the herd and didn't look back.

And then there is Molly (#9).. she is named after one of our first cows who is no longer with us. Molly has those brown eye circles that I like so much. The cows with the brown around their eyes.. to me have always been more stubborn than the rest! It pays to work with them when they are young. Molly's mother is one of my cows. Her mother is a pet and has never just abandoned her calf before. But she did this year. Molly is very healthy.

Last there is JuneBug (#18)... She too has a momma. Her mom didn't care too much about her either. She is a new mom and that could be part of the problem.

Now all 3 have their own pen in the barn.. and get out and run around and play like a dog outside. They come when they are called and know their names. Molly is the stubborn one. Yes, I did name the boy which I should not have and my heart will break a little when he has to leave in 2yrs. But I do know that this time next year.. he won't really care who I am. The boy calves do tend to forget you after a bit. The two girls will grow up on the farm and become part of the herd for years to come. And then it is fun when they are much older to be able to call them by name and they just come.. and they will let you hug them walk with you.. when they are big.

The donkeys are fine. Morgan and her mother are quite taken with the calves. Murphy is more like "outta my way kid". For the time being they are separated by a gate. Morgan puts her head through the gate and washes the calves. Very cute.