Well, quite a day yesterday. Both Sunday and Monday I found a dead calf out on the cows in the morning, so yesterday I was pretty leery about going over to feed because I was afraid I would find another dead calf. Both the calves that died were so picked apart by the Bald Eagles that I could not determine why or how they died. It's depressing is all I know to find them dead like that. We got over to feed and it was looking pretty good. I didn't spot a dead one right away so thought I was in the clear. Then, from over the top of a hill here comes two bald eagles swooping down on a cow standing up on the hill by herself.<br />n<br />n"Damn", I thought, "she must be standing over a dead calf there and she is protecting it." So we fed hay up that way to check the situation out. The eagles kept swooping at here and she would throw her head and chase them off every time. Even some magpies and crows were joining in attacking this cow. I knew for sure the calf was dead. When we got up there with the hay guess what? The calf was alive and the good momma had been valiantly protecting her baby. I was really surprised. I had never seen Bald Eagles attack cattle like that and was amazed. It makes me wonder if that is what happened to my other two calves. The eagles killed them. I got no proof one way or the other but I am keeping it in the back of my mind.<br />n<br />nSo what does this have to do with the title, "Two More Gathered?" Not a damn thing, just some thing interesting that happened. Also while we were feeding I noticed the other twin from the old cow I talked about <a href="http://nowherethoughts.net/sarpysam/archives/1626-Train-of-Thought.html">the other day</a>. I have had my eye on him ever since we pulled his brother and he hasn't been doing very well. I kept hoping his mother would come into her milk to feed him but she hasn't. I was worried if she would have enough milk for two babies, as it turns out she doesn't have enough for one baby. He was so thin that I decided I had to pull him and bring him in and put him on a bottle. Best thing I could do for him.<br />n<br />n<a href='http://www.sarpysam.net/gallery/Calves/bums03212006?full=1'><img width='250' height='188' border='0' hspace='5' align='left' src='http://www.sarpysam.net/gallery/albums/Calves/bums03212006.thumb.jpg' alt='' /></a>Then I found another calf on the feed ground who was starving to death slow but sure. I have no idea who his mom is or what the situation was but he was in poor condition. I threw an ear tag in him to identify him and left him until afternoon to see if he would mother up to a momma. When you have over 500 cows in a bunch it's hard to mother things up real easy. When we checked later in the afternoon we still couldn't mother him up and all he did was run around from cow to cow trying to get something to eat. The only thing I could do was grab him and bring him home and put him on a bottle. After having three sets of twins, there is an outside chance that this one is a twin that got separated form mom and she still has the other one. Judging by his size it wouldn't surprise me.<br />n<br />nSo that's the two more gathered. As you can see by the picture I now have three bum calves to take care of. It's a pain in the ass but it's best for the calves. Maybe we will get a mom like the other one I grafted, which by the way is a stunning success, she loves the little thing, but whatever happens, happens. I just hope there is no more mysterious dead calves like the two. I'm tired of that.<br />n<br />n<b>The day is always his, who works in it with serenity and great aims. Ralph Waldo Emerson</b>