It's been a month since our Midge left Little Liberty to fend for herself.
Tomorrow we plan on running the yearlings and her through the system to do health checks and weights.
When Liberty went through a month ago she weighed 70 lbs. Still so very tiny. Usually by three months of age, our calves are seeing much higher gains and faster growth than what I was seeing in her.
Since being orphaned, however, depending solely on forages of fescue grasses and the orchard and Timothy hays, she has doubled in size. I'm guessing from just eyeballing she's gained 30 lbs. Tomorrow will be the test of my ability to eyeball the weights. I could be completely wrong...
Weight-estimation is an art. And, it can only be developed through experience. Even with long-term experience some never develop the technique. So, I'm kind of anxious to test myself.
But, her coat is completely dark now. The signs of her Red Dog days faded and her body scoring would appear close to or at a 4. So, I suspect that while dependent on Midge for her primary nutrition she wasn't thriving as a result of what was happening with Midge. While we're still waiting for the full necropsy report on her, the rapid rebound for Liberty leads me to believe that had Midge continued to provide for Liberty much longer, we may have lost both.
And, while I was not sure if Liberty could survive, let alone thrive, without Midge nature and instinct are more powerful than I had hoped. Based on her physical condition and continuous fecal exams to monitor any parasite issues, she will be fine.
Now, there is social wellness to examine and study in conjunction with her physical health. The two are so deeply intertwined that it's hard to separate and define them individually. But I've tried to explain the many relationships of factors in this blog. Using it as a reference may help in understanding the next observations.
Socially, the herd has fallen back into their normal pecking order. Midge had a low rank, so Liberty would have learned to be a follower who was accepted and protected from outside threats. But, she would have learned compliance and acceptance also. For instance, if Midge came in for a drink at the water trough, she waited till the mature cows and their calves drank before she approached. This behavior became even more distinct after Liberty was born. Perhaps an act of protecting her tiny girl, knowing she couldn't physically match the mature cows or the rowdy yearlings. As Liberty would have grown, Midge would have shortened the distance in situations like this. Without those examples from Midge, Liberty only understands that she must stay within the herd. And, this leaves her vulnerable to being "picked on" by the older calves, the yearlings, and sometimes even the mature ladies appear impatient with Liberty's intrusions.
I often can't tell if the older heifers are actually picking on her, or if they accept her so much that they are just trying to engage in play, as they do with each other. If so, Liberty hasn't learned to differentiate between the two behaviors. Other times, it will appear a calf is chasing her and my heart drops. But, then I see an older buff coming through a gate or into the immediate area for "that" grazing spot.
A relief floods over me. I literally sigh when I realize it isn't aggressiveness, but just lessons from an older calf being taught to Liberty.
She's learned, socially, that she is protected from unseen and unknown dangers. She doesn't seem to understand that she has to recognize her social order. If the herd comes in for a drink, she comes in with them and clambers right up to the "baby trough" that I keep out for her. Of course, the herd doesn't acknowledge it's small and low-sided for her tiny stature, so any and all will drink from it just as much as they will from the tall-sided trough that holds farm more gallons. When Midge was here to watch out for Liberty, she would keep the calf back and wait for the area to clear of "bigger and more rambunctious" traffic. But today, Liberty just saunters right in, her little head sometimes tilts as she surveys for a spot she can squeeze into, then to the trough and a big drink among the bodies that tower above her.
This is a social experiment at this point. Will she grow to be a mid-herd rank? Will she be more of an outcast? Will that change as she ages and perhaps calves? Will she learn to be more aggressive as she grows, a survival mechanism maybe? One that she mentally develops because she remembers fighting to fill her needs alone? Or will our little Liberty simply learn to exist among the crowd, clearing the path when leaned on or pushed -- a pacifist life?
Time will tell. But, one thing is for certain. This little orphan bison calf will survive.
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