So, we did a thing! We bought a Jersey Calf!
This has been a crazy year, even outside of our farm! I noticed meat prices going up as I was buying
groceries during these crazy times so CJ thought it would be good to raise our own cow. Not only
because of the prices of meat, but to know where our meat comes from and how it was raised. So, he
looked online and found a 10-week-old calf for sale. We visited the farm, and talked with the farmer,
and bought him!
Let me be clear here, we know NOTHING about raising a cow. This should be entertaining!
The guy delivers the cow to our home and we put him in the pasture. The poor grass is taller than this
little guy is! Of course, if someone had of listened to me when I advised we should keep the pasture
mowed, that would not have happened! HA! The cow seems content, however and does well finding the
shelter and water. He is so cute! I can not imagine eating this cute, adorable, sweet, animal. It is official,
I am going to make the worst farm wife EVER!
I know the rules that you are not supposed to name animals that you plan to eat, but I must call him
something. I settle on Cow Cow. It was the best I could do.
Cow Cow spends the first night out in the pasture and does fine. The second night is where our
adventure began…
The sun had just set, and rain had begun. CJ and I were walking tank and checking on all the animals
before bed. He checks on Cow Cow, while I check on Jasper. Cow cow is in his shelter dry from the rain
but follows CJ out in the rain when CJ tries to leave. CJ tries to get him to go back in the shelter, but he
refuses. He just stands there in the now pouring rain, mooing very sadly, as if to say, “Don’t leave me”.
CJ comes to me and we start to finish up Tank’s walk so we can all get back inside. We walk maybe 10
steps before CJ asks if we should put cow cow in the barn for the night as he is little, alone, and now
soaking wet. I say it will not hurt anything, (I personally think the cow and Jasper should go in the barn
every night). So, CJ heads back up while I finish with tank and put him in the house.
I go to the barn and CJ comes back, without the cow. Its now storming. CJ says the cow will not go in the
shelter and will not leave the pasture either. He just stands there in the rain mooing. We do not know
what else to do and figure he will go back in the shelter on his own. We wrap up everything in the barn
and start to head back to the house.
We did not even get out of the barn, when CJ says again, “You think he will be ok, or should we try again
to get him in the barn”. He is worried about Cow Cow… awwwwww! We decide to try again. Maybe If I
go with, he will follow us out of the pasture. I suggest talking some sort of lead for the calf, but CJ
dismisses this idea. We jog back up to the pasture. Mind you, it is now pouring rain, thundering and the
lightning is lighting up the sky. The sky flashes and thunder booms. I yell to CJ as we are jogging “Hey!
Stay next to me… Lightning always strikes the tallest object, and I don’t want to die”. I am, if nothing
else, an honest woman. HA! We make it there and Cow cow is still standing there where we left him, in
the rain. CJ opens the gate wide open and tries to shoo him out to me.
Me: “What are you doing! What if he bolts and runs away!”
CJ: “Then we will catch him”
Me: “With WHAT? We don’t have ANYTHING! I don’t know how to catch cows!”
Too late, Cow Cow sees me and comes running out of the gate. Lord have mercy, here we go! CJ is
slowly jogging beside the cow, and I follow bringing up the rear, trying to herd this little calf, in a
thunderstorm, all the way to the barn. Which I might add is at least 100 yards. Not a far distance, but in
the storm with a loose calf that could bolt at any moment, seems extremely far to me!
We manage well though. Then, a bolt of lightning that flashes bright stops both CJ and I in our tracks. I
do not prefer standing out in storms so; I quickly start moving again. However, Cow Cow thinks this is
the perfect opportunity so stop, sniff, and check things out. I, in my efforts to not die via lightning bolt,
pass the two of them.
CJ reminds me that I am supposed to be behind the cow. Oops, my bad. I do not take up my position
again, because, well… death by lightning, does not appeal to me. So, I call the cow to me. “Here Cow
Cow, here Cow Cow”. How else do I call a cow? I may have moo’ed. It is totally possible.
Cow Cow finally makes it into the barn. CJ puts him in a stall, but it has a lot of stuff in there that we had
stored. I do not want him knocking things over or getting hung up on something so suggest moving him
to the room we used for the chicken brooder, as it does not have much in there. CJ acknowledges that,
“That is a much better idea”. Of course, it is, that is why I said it! We quickly clean out the area, lay some
blankets down, and put a water bucket in there. We get Cow cow in there and I dry him off with a towel.
He seems happy to be in there and our cow adventure of the night comes to an end.
As we are about to leave, CJ decides to show me the biggest spider on earth hanging out on the door
frame, that I must walk through to get out. Um no. I am not walking by that tarantula! I make CJ stand in
front of it so I can run by safely. Now I know my husband, he is going to wait till I run by then jump at me
to scare me. So, I spend several minutes begging him not to do so, before I realize it will be of no good.
So, I make him stand in the barn, behind me while I hold up a towel and run by. This was a mistake as
well. As I do so…. This man of mine screams and grabs me from behind! I, lacking all common sense….
Jump thinking the spider has me. I take off running and screaming obscenities at CJ, straight out of the
barn, through the storm, all the way back to the house!
What a night! Only us! Always an adventure here at Skyline Pastures!