Driving cattle

Our station wagon attracted some attention yesterday.  One vehicle even slowed down so they could change lanes and get behind us to watch a calf being driven down the highway.  By the way they were acting, you'd think people have never seen this before.

I still haven't given him a name, though I keep calling him Franklin.  I've also thought of naming him Howie, after my dad.  I don't think Dad would mind.  Franklin/Howie is a little Jersey bull calf.  I also thought of naming him Trenton but that name is harder to yell.  He was such a good passenger and spent most of our hour and 15 minute drive lying down in the back watching cars go by. He seemed very relaxed.

Did we need another bull?  Of course not.  We only have one milk cow so it's silly, really, but I couldn't resist that cute face I saw in the Craigslist ad.  Perhaps we need a Jersey girl too.  Franklin/Howie won't be old enough to breed for another year.  He's only one month old.  We're bottle feeding him goats' milk for at least another month.  He'll drink milk out of a bucket too but it's hard to keep Rex out of it.

He's living on the opposite side of the fence from the other cows and adult goats.  We separated the little bucklings from their moms yesterday too so Franklin/Howie has them for company, along with Rex to protect them.  We'll be getting lots more goat milk now that the kids are off their moms.

Newcomers are always greeted by the others and it didn't take long for them to discover the new addition.


This morning he was no longer exciting and the others aren't interested in him.  I had a scare when I went to feed him.  I called and called but he didn't come and I couldn't see him anywhere. I took a lap around his field and was getting panicky.  Finally I discovered him lying down all curled up in tall grass.  I was so relieved.  I thought maybe he'd jumped over the fence. Or maybe gotten in with the pigs and had an unfortunate accident.  Lots of scenarios went through my mind.  I guess I don't know enough about calves yet. All I know is he's a real cutie.  I may be sorry later on that I got a bull that was a bottle baby.  He's very friendly.  Maybe he'll be gentle like my other cows.  Even our bull, Papa, now loves be brushed and petted and he doesn't make me nervous anymore.

I love his MOO