Miss Daisy!

A couple of months back Johnny decided to expand our herd of cows. Because our dream is to someday produce cheese and dairy products from them, the Dexter’s supply is not really adequate. This led us to finding Miss Daisy. Our Daisy was bought from a dairy cattle yard and is a Jersey cross heifer. The trip collecting her was long and took us into unfamiliar territory. We didn’t mind. The windows were down and with the wind taking the edge off the heat of the day, we sang along to the radio that was playing an unfamiliar station. We rolled on through hills and farms and eventually reached our destination. It was near nightfall when Johnny picked her up and placed her in the little homemade cage on the back of the Ute. She bellowed in fright and I’m sure she was stressed. As we waved goodbye to the owner, Daisy seemed to settle. At home we introduced her to Crystal, her foster mom. Crystal had just said goodbye to her own calf a few short days before. This was the second set of calves we have bred and sold. She was moping and so she latched onto Daisy instantly and it was just like a match made in heaven. I was surprised how easy it was. The first few days Crystal had to be persuaded into the milking unit so Daisy could drink, but this lasted only a few weeks and then they were out on their own in the paddock, having adjusted so quickly to the introduction of another cow. Over the months, Daisy grew strong on Crystal’s milk. She fattened up quickly and before we knew it she was ready to be weaned. What I didn’t know was that it’s not so easy to wean a calf while mum is still in the vicinity. Add another calf to the mixture and you have a problem. In hindsight now, I have learnt valuable farming lessons. I’ve learnt the value of the weaning ring and learnt the period it takes to wean a calf. I’ve learnt that if you want a quiet change, do not separate them. They are happier that way and so am I. The weaning ring cost $14, every cent worth its weight in gold. Now we have a new calf that is growing stronger on Crystal’s milk and a fat, healthy Daisy quite content with life.