This is Trouble. Biggest bull calf ever raised on the farm. He was born to a black Angus heifer which means it was her first ever calf. We don’t like for our heifers to have large calves but apparently she was fed well which helped him grow. The sire was a two-year old Angus with small head and shoulders. Can’t imagine what he will look like fully grown or his son!!
His mom was in labor for five hours and I was alone on the farm with her. I tried several times to get close to her to help by pulling the calf but she would have nothing to do with it. Finally when Eddie got home from a doctor’s appointment she was tired enough to lay still and he pulled the calf. Immediately she got up and walked away having nothing to do with the pain she had been in.
Of course, he was also born on a very cold and wet day and was covered with mud. The other heifer mothers came to the rescue and cleaned him up while Eddie got a bottle of milk to warm his insides.
His mother finally came back to him the next morning but would never let him nurse. She was and is protective of him but would not let him eat. Trouble is now a bottle baby and doing really well.
He was born on March 4th and instead of one month old he looks like a three-month old spring calf. Unlike most bottle fed babies he is not pot-gutted, he’s very strong and doesn’t play with the other calves though they try really hard to get him in on the racing they do each day!!
We’ve not decided if he will possibly become a sire on the farm but he definitely looks and acts like a full-grown young bull!
How interesting … feel sorry for him and yet his Mums lack of feeding has made no difference whatsoever! Trouble 🙂👏
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The little devil was caught about an hour ago getting milk from another cow in the herd and then came calling for his bottle. It’s no wonder he’s getting so big. We’re hoping he’s not taking too much from the cows because they have little ones as well. Two calves on one cow makes it hard on her to keep up with enough feed to milk to two calves.
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He sure sounds like an opportunist! 🙂
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Interesting – a cow virtually ignoring her calf. Maybe the pain on the birth was enough of the mothering for her!!!
Will be interested in further updates.
Your Aussie Mate
Colin
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Its the first time we’ve had to pull one and then the cow walk off. We’ve had older cows that had easy births and for some reason just left it for good. There’s 14 first time moms in that herd and all have calved but two and we’re anxious for them to finish. We’ll watch this mom next spring and make sure she lets the calf nurse or she’ll be sent to market!
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Amazing story! I suspect Trouble will be a handful as he grows 🙂
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He already is, Barbara. Eddie warns me every time I go to feed him that he is stronger than he looks! He pushes Eddie around when he can get away with it.
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Great story, great name!
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We’re daily astounded at the mother still protecting and cleaning him but won’t let him nurse.
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Maybe she’s just really smart and knows that you’ll handle that responsibility, so she’s leaving you to it! But seriously, didn’t her milk come in? You’d think she’d be in some discomfort.
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Her milk came in and she started cleaning him after the other heifers started cleaning him and she’s protective of him but she would not let him nurse!
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