I Want My Mommy

Anyone who's been around kids knows that when things are quiet you'll get that feeling that something just isn't right.  Well it's the same with calves when they've been separated from their mothers for weaning.  The noise level is a constant irritating sound of mooing back and forth for days.  When Brent left for work in the middle of the afternoon I noticed a silence outside and got that feeling that something just wasn't right.  And sure enough, the claves had escaped from the shed. As I looked out at the pasture I saw the calves with their mothers and couldn't help smile as a mother cow licked her calf contently. I guess I don't blame them for wanting to be in the pond pasture with their mothers.   Even though the shed had everything to meet their needs all they wanted was their mother.  All the mother wanted was her calf. Sound familiar? Just like the bond we have with our babies, the mother cow feels the same for her calf.  She'll do whatever she has to do to get to her calf and I'm wondering if one of them was able to lick the chain until it came loose.  Brent didn't have a spring clip on the chain so that's definitely a lesson learned.  I was laughing to myself thinking that we may have a MacGyver in the group who plotted the escape in the night and executed the plan in the late morning hours.  I really never thought cows were too intelligent but when I saw that gate open wide I thought differently.  Don't underestimate the instinct of a mother to care for its young.  It's not a pleasant thing to have to do when it's time to let your kids be on their own. When it's time to let go it's stressful to all involved.  The time comes quickly for the mother weaning her toddler and grinning and bearing it when it's tune to take her baby to a sitter.  The time comes to send her baby off to school as tears stream down her cheeks and then she says it's OK to let her baby stay overnight with the grandparents. It's the same for the mother cow when that time comes to let go of her calf.  She's naturally upset but she'll have to surrender to the fact that her calf  is going out on its own. Growing up is a challenge for all living things. Guess it's back to the drawing board for Brent.  Maybe MacGyver can give him some ideas on how to keep the calves in the shed.  LOL :)