Meet Baby Honda

Every once in a while, a farmer is blessed with twin calves.  It doesn't happen very often; I think cows were created to be mamas to just one at a time.  Even though it can happen, taking care of two babies is just something that cows aren't particularly good at.  It can come as both a blessing and an annoyance.  Blessing because you've got a "two for one" deal.  Annoyance because, if the cow doesn't care for the second calf, you've now got a calf you've got to teach to do everything that the cow would ordinarily have done.  Like eat.  Plus you've got to buy the milk replacer (the equivalent to formula for a "people baby").  And such is the case that we were presented with this past week. 

Once Josh and Loren decided that we had an orphan, they transported the calf to our place via the tool box on the back of the four wheeler.  The four wheeler was a Honda, hence the calf's name "Baby Honda". 




Little Honda, on her way to a cozy farm building to warm up and fill up her tummy.  You can also see the bottle she'll (hopefully) get used to using.  We put her in a heated hog nursery.

 

My mission, that I did indeed choose to accept, was to get the warm water.  One makes the calf's bottle just like making a baby's bottle.

 After working with the calf, we left her alone to rest and warm up.  Now, on to other duties for the afternoon. 
 

Remember the chicks?  Here they are again, a full five times (at least) bigger than they were.  The kids took care of watering and feeding (and scaring most half to death) for the day.  They're two weeks old now.



Running up and down the hallway of the farrowing house (the area where sows can give birth and be cared for).  It just so happens that there weren't any sows in the house at the time, so Caleb and Sarah were free to run up and down...racing is one of their favorite games.  Under normal circumstances, they would have had to be calm as to not disturb the sows and piglets.




Putting Caleb to work...Come on, Boy!  Use those muscles!!!




Ahhh..there it goes!  You can see how the sows are sheltered.  The hoops in the background are bedded up with corn stalks and are closed in the back (the end that faces north) so that the cold wind doesn't blow through.  They stay nice and toasty, even through the coldest weather.



And of course, Sarah is not to be left out!  She has to have Daddy's help, but she fed the sows too!  Sarah is the one in the pink pants, again.  :-) 



But one bucket for each kid was plenty enough for them to get their taste in choring.  Josh did the rest.  The sows get fed a special blend of corn and minerals that help the sows and gestation stay healthy. Loren grinds feed everyday except Sundays (if he can help it). You can see how the hoops are closed off from the back to protect the herd from the elements.  But there are also "windows" that can be opened to allow ventilation during the warmer seasons.

  


Once the sows were fed, we were off to the chicken house.  I think we slowed Josh down doing some of his things, but we had a lot of fun.




And of course, after the rain we had we just HAD to play in the puddles.