Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Something for me??

I couldn't help but think that this little fellow was hoping I had something for it. I say fellow, but I have a feeling it was a little gal. We seen it up by Shipshewana...I assume they are raising it by hand.

When I was a kid I helped to raise a couple calves....we didn't use a bottle, but a bucket that had a big rubber nipple on the outside similar to this. Ours was made of metal, and it also had a way for us to hang it from a board if we wanted. But I never wanted to...feeding baby calves was a fun thing to do in my opinion. And still would be for that matter. We didn't raise very many that way, and now I cannot even remember where they came from.

Then later, when Roger and I lived in Tennessee we raised two on bottles...I don't remember why we chose bottles. Either way was fun....

We would buy the formula in what I assume was 25 lb. bags and mix a bucket/bottle of it and head for the barn. Of course we mixed a small amount to begin with and increased the amount as the calf grew. I know we had to teach a calf how to use the bucket, but it was never hard to do. Since then, I have heard so many times of calves just being taught to drink it like it is water and I wonder if that would have worked. I still would do it the way with did it or with bottles, simply cause I would enjoy it...but when you hear of something being done different to the way you have done things, you tend to wonder how well it works that way.
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I did get my project made yesterday...I am so relieved to have it done. Now I can start on something fun...I have another small quilt top I want to make. Then when it is done, I want to quilt it and the other baby quilt that I just recently made.

For right now, I have to head to Sarah's....she has more packing to do.

8 comments:

  1. I admire the way you blog even though you are tired and busy. If I could figure out how you do that, I would get more done. I'm just sure of it!

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  2. Have a good day with your Toot, Rose.... I know you will....

    I have never heard of that bucket idea for feeding baby calves... I clicked on your link to see it... Amazing...

    Thanks for sharing.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  3. A fine shot of this young calf. I lived on a farm during most of my grade school years, but I don't recall ever feeding a calf by hand. I can imagine how a calf would go after that nipple once they learned how.

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  4. Our calves always ended up being pets and I always hated to see them sold. :(

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  5. I think that calf needs a larger structure to call home!
    We raised several calves when I was growing up. We let them stay with their mother until they could drink from a bucket.
    Thanks for the memories.

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  6. What a cutie! I've never fed a calf, but think that I would like to try it.

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  7. I hope that little guy or gal gets to grow up--I think some of these are veal calves.

    It's a cute picture though.

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  8. I feel sorry for that calf. I agree with George that it looks like small surroundings and worry that what Mary T. said might be true.
    Last year on a short trip to Indiana I saw some of those 'houses' and wondered what they were for. Now I know.

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