Another emergency rescue today. While the lady was here to adopt the three boys goats trio... a local farmhand had pulled up asking if we had milk powder in and would we be willing to save a calf? Um... let me think about this one, lol. It turned out the Mumma had mastitis so bad, she was going to be shot today to put her out of her misery. I offered to take her too and hand milk her, but sadly she was too far gone to be saved. Charlea went with him to help get the calf but Mumma was too wild and nearly pinned him to the ute. He went back for his gun, and later myself, Charlea and hubby had the awful task of helping him find her again and put her down. So sad, I had to look away. But after a bit of a chase we managed to rescue the baby calf. Judging by her dry umbilical chord she was at least 4 days old, but skin and bone. She could not possibly have been drinking milk anymore, so was probably living off grass and drinking water. We got her back home, gave her electrolytes for stress and possible dehydration but she didnt know how to suckle, confirming she had been somehow surviving by foraging whilst faithfully following Mum around who could not feed her. So scared of humans, and yet so hungry, we eventually sat her on our lap and had to literally force her mouth open to take the bottle. She eventually suckled after we dribbled lots of warm milk into her, and despite being a very poor suckler she eventually managed to drink almost a whole bottle. Phew! She is so scared, and it was so tragic we could not spare her witnessing her Mother being put down, so we have been giving her lots of cuddles to reassure her she is safe, and to help with her grieving. She is a Murray Grey X Hereford, and almost grey in colour with a hint of pale chocolate. She has a little star on her forehead so we have named her Eärendil, from LOTR... given by Galadriel as being a light in a dark place, when there is no other light to be found and it means Star of High Hope. Welcome little Eärendil
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 08:20:10 +0000
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