Friday, September 27, 2013

Finding the faucet

Well well well, guess who found the faucet?


That's right, little Amy found mama's source of milk.

We first suspected this when I was getting ready to milk Matilda one evening, and I heard "slurp slurp slurp" coming from the barn. Peeking around a corner, sure enough there was Amy, slurping away.

I ran for the camera but of course by the time I got back into the barn, Amy was looking at me with wide-eyed innocence. "Who me? I'd NEVER be caught nursing!"

Then two evenings ago, Don took the bottles of warmed milk and went to feed Amy... who wouldn't touch it. Her little belly was full and round. And when I went to milk Matilda, instead of her usual 1.5 gallons or so, I got this:


In other words, Amy is draining Matilda dry.

Well I can hardly object. It IS the way nature intended. Still, I must confess I was enjoying bottle-feeding Amy, she's gotten a beautiful start on being very tame, and I enjoy getting so much wonderful milk from Matilda.


So now we're locking Amy into a pen at night so I can still get milk in the morning. And (ahem) I confess I'm still filling a small bottle with milk and feeding her first thing in the morning, just so she keeps seeing us in a beneficent light.

13 comments:

  1. The Lambs we end up bottle feeding are always much braver around humans. Makes some of the work easier down the road but can also make it a bit more emotionally challenging as well.

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  2. That's great! Matilda can raise Amy, who will probably stay very tame, and you still get lots of great milk. Winners all around.

    They are both beautiful.

    Fern

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  3. great plan! she doesn't need 3 gallons a day anyhow. (1.5 times 2)

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  4. If this isn't one of the cutest posts you've ever made I don't know what is. Slurp slurp slurp. Way to find the faucet Amy! :-)

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  5. Serious "Awww" factor. You were right when you said that Amy would probably find the spigot once Matilda "de-puffed" a little.

    Just Me

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  6. How exciting... nature finds a way.

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  7. Patrice & PP -
    You two are better garden farmers than me that's for sure!

    Bottle lambs & calves are never welcomed around here. Bottle lambs are a financial loss and never grow right. But bottle raised dairy calves are a really smart idea as long as real milk is used and not milk replacer. Amy will certainly make a better milk cow for being bottle raised.

    I don't do a bottle baby unless there is no other choice.
    If there's a problem shortly after birth I will ALWAYS tube feed for at least 48 hours before I whip out a bottle. There's always hope for a chance to graft a lamb onto another ewe or that a cow will get to feeling better.

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  8. I can understand the wish to keep bottle feeding and rejoice with you that the job has become less necessary!

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  9. (chuckle) Once a mom, always a mom. ;-)
    .--. . - . -.-

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  10. Love your story. Nothing better than farm storys. Thank you.

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