Dewberry the Dairy Heifer

[ABR]

Since she finally has a name, I figured she needed her own thread. Dewberry is a 10 month old Jersey heifer. It was a long trip to get her. Very docile and calm, but suspicious of people. Until you have feed in the bucket. Since she's only been with us a little over a week, I'm not pushing too much for contact or anything. I'll let her settle in a bit longer before I begin working with her. She spent the first couple of days in the wrong pasture due to weather and stubbornness. Within the first 24 hours of being in the correct pen, she wallowed herself in a hole against the fence and got her head stuck cocked back on the fence. She was very calm when I found her, wasn't struggling at all, just stared at me forlornly. Hopped the fence to get her unstuck and she just laid calmly and didn't fight me on unhooking her head, then got right up with a little pushing to get out of the hole. Got herself a quick drink then went back to eating. It was very stressful trip home so she dropped a few pounds from not wanting to eat much for a few days. Now she is cleaning her pan

The differences between her and our beef cattle is like night and day. If any of them had gotten themselves stuck the way she was, they would likely have injured or killed themselves fighting. Certainly would have fought me trying to free them. They are spooky where she just stands and watches. Saturday morning I let the wild pup out and she ran right over to Dewberry's pen and went in right up in her face barking. Dewberry just laid calmly chewing her cud.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship

 

[Tim Horton]

PICTURES..... WE NEED PICTURES.....