Meet Daisy Mae and RibEye

We brought home two leppy calves on April 18th. Other parts of the country would call them doggies, some would call them orphans. Either way, they are the new additions to the Nakamura Farm.

We drove 45 minutes down the freeway to "go look", money in hand. I knew we were coming home with em. I insisted on two, because our last cow got lonely, all by himself.

The horse trailer has a seriously flat tire, and Mike wasn't sure our poor old truck would make it there and back. It ONLY has 250,000 miles on it! What do you mean it won't make it?? Poor thing needs some TLC.

Anywho, we threw a tarp in the back of the Explorer, again "just in case". Just in case they are small enough to "hog tie" and put in the back seat. Oh goodness!

We get to the TS Dunphy Ranch, outside of Carlin, and are shown to the barn. You know how all baby animals are cute?? It is especially true for calves! Those big eyes, long eyelashes, how could you not want to touch them? Even if you "don't like cows". (I confess, that's me. But it's always been the free-ranging cows, on BLM land, that tear down my fences and make life a general head ache).

This is Miss Daisy Mae. Had to give her a nice farm girl name. We're talking of keeping her for Shawn's 4-H project, and a possible breeding heifer. We'll see how she grows, since we didn't get the pleasure of meeting her parents.

And this is RibEye. A possibility for Shawn's 4-H future, but most likely he'll fill the freezer in a year's time.

Twice a day we mix up three of these 4 pint bottles, AND have extra on hand, in a jug, for refills while in the pen. When they first came to us they were eating maybe one and a half bottles a piece. Now they are gulping down three and half bottles worth a feeding! Doesn't help that we're in the middle of a cold snap. But man oh man!

The two little guys just after getting them settled. Not so sure about that interesting ride hog-tied in the back of the SUV, and the horses trying to check them out over the panels.

At first Shawn was all for getting up at 6 am (just a bit earlier than usual) to help feed the babies. I'm afraid the novelty of it all has worn off and I'm stuck to morning feedings by myself most of the time.

Hungry little gal!

Shawn and RibEye.

Switching bottles....getting it all figured out again.....

Success!

Daisy is full now. And still a bit unsure about not being in a cozy barn anymore.

Now she's being camera shy........

Perhaps it's time to lie down for a bit.

RibEye's not quite ready to be done, and he's just sure that those warm things attatched to my hand (fingers) will give a bit of milk.

Mikey laughs at me, but those bottles get heavy and slippery! Just so happens that we have an apron with a nice, big pocket, perfect for putting those bottles in!

It leaves my hands free to carry the calf bucket (it has a nipple on one side, an odd thing really), AND my jug of extra milk, just in case they are still a bit hungry. Very handy that they are now chugging down about three and half bottles worth each!!

It makes me feel like a "momma cow" when the bottles are full. Gives a person a bit of a "full udder" waddle.....LOL I wonder what the passerbys think when they see me waddling over to the horse shed!