Little Liberty is holding her own! Actually, better than holding! She's maintaining her weight, her body condition is improving, and she's even more independent.
Did I share the story of her name? She was a surprise calf, born July 4th, 2023. Her mommy, Midge was just 3 years old when she was born. NEVER appeared pregnant and gave no indication she had been bred.
So when I went out that morning to do a herd check, I began with my standard "count"...1, 2, 5, 6, etc...but I kept counting this one extra calf. I was about 5 times into counting before I realized there was definitely an extra "little one" in the herd. And, she was soooo tiny. She couldn't have weighed more than 35 lbs, and I'd guess 30 was more accurate. Her little legs were as thin and small as a fawn's spindly little legs.
In fact, for a split second, I thought perhaps a fawn had lost its mommy and was tagging along with the herd...that was more believable to me than discovering an extra calf! But then I saw Midge. Midge was immediately the perfect little mommy, especially for a first-timer!
Initially, I dubbed this little girl "Independence" and said we'd call her Miss Independence.
Perhaps that was an omen, a sign of sorts. I had no idea that three short months later she would definitely have to live up to that nomer. But, she has. She is. She's learning that she must do for herself, take while the taking is good, and do so without any real challenge.
She's still half the size of the other 2023 calves. But for an orphan bison calf, she is managing to fill out now that Midge is not here to protect her and/or hold her back. Her closest confidante is Milkshake's little heifer, Cimarron. That calf will nudge her, head butt her, and push her into the middle of the herd or closer to wherever Milkshake is grazing. When it's time for a rest, they lay next to one another -- sometimes so close they touch.
For whatever reason, I find this comforting. She needs that contact. Even the nudging and head butting don't appear as bullering, but more of a protection mechanism.
Even when she manages to elude Cimarron's interest, she finds her place among the yearling bulls. Especially Yuchi. Yuchi was one of Midge's closest herdmates. He was around Liberty constantly because he liked hanging around Midge after Canada replaced him with this year's calf. Yuchi has a similar demeanor. He's calm, laid back, and avoids conflict. So they made a good match. And, he seems to know that Liberty is a connection to his lost friend. Or, maybe I'm still humanizing the behaviors I'm observing.
I've kept an extra close eye on her, but her fecals came back clear (1 trichostrongyles egg on the slide) so that's a little relief. Her fecals are starting to look more "normal" - they were extremely loose when she first lost Midge's milk. And, as I mentioned, she appears to be gaining better now than when relying heavily on Midge's nourishment.
This gives a good visual of how much smaller she is than the spring calves.
But she is built a lot like Midge. Small framed, square hips, and petite overall build compared to the other cows. I want to see her hip line, which I would currently score about a 2 to 2-1/2, round out some as we progress. But, putting weight on a buff isn't an overnight kind of job.
Plus, we're currently in the midst of an awful drought. Between the lack of good grass and the surrounding wildfires diminishing the air quality, my main focus is avoiding any respiratory issues or not providing enough hay supplementing. Fortunately, she does enjoy the Anipro Weather Pro Minerals that we use.
This week has been an adjusting period for our Little Lady Liberty. But I'm pleased to report she seems to be finding her tiny little feet and digging in for the long haul.
As for Midge. I plan to share the findings from her necropsy. So far only the physical report has been returned, we're still awaiting the pathology reports. Stay tuned....
And pray we get some much-needed rain to tamper down the dust, smoke, and continuous need to watch for any risk of wildfires moving too close to us!
The risks are more than just fire, I remain vigilant in my monitoring for any respiratory issues in the herd as well.
Note: If you are interested in learning more about our minerals, this presentation was recorded last month when Wes Klemm, founder of Anipro, was in my area. I am not a paid affiliate, nor do I have any kind of sponsorship from Anipro. But these are the minerals I use because of the research that Wes and his team put into developing a product that fits my herd's needs based on testing of soils, forages, and dry matter -- instead of just buying something off the shelf at a box store.
I am so glad to hear that she is doing well. She has been on my mind this week and I have been hoping and praying that she is on the up and up. We will continue to hope and pray for her and send good vibes for all of you.