Meet Star

This is Star. She is Reid's bottle calf for the fair. She is a twin that was taken off her mama (a practice commonly done with older cows that twin as an older cow often doesn't have enough milk to raise twins). The previous owners tried to graft her onto another cow that lost her baby (born dead), but the cow wouldn't accept her -- so we were able to get her. When Randy and the boys went to pick her up (in Randy's vet truck -- a Tundra with an extended cab), the calf rode in the back seat with the kids. Luckily she didn't make a mess! However, she smelled pretty bad because she had been wearing the hide of the dead calf (another common practice used to graft an orphan onto another mama cow). She still smelled pretty bad for a couple days later!

She is a REALLY sweet calf, and all of the kids REALLY love her. I often find Walter and Nona out in the barnyard playing with her -- and at this point that is OK, but in a few months when she bigger with a toddler attitude -- it may not be so good. She will follow you anywhere and will run around the yard with the kids, kicking up her heels.

Right now we are feeding her a bottle three times a day. Boy does she look forward to that bottle! But watch out when the bottle is empty! She follows you around rooting for more milk in a place that no human mama has mammary glands! So if you see me walking around with a wet backside, it's calf slobber, trust me.

I love this photo..... innocent little girl..... growing up too fast....

PS. Happy Birthday Grandma Linda!!!!
(from the 4-reds)