As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I have been around bovines my entire life, but nothing prepared me really for who Jerseys are, as they really do have a pronounced personality, about double what other cattle breeds have.
My experience has been with Herefords, Galloways, Holsteins, Angus, Charolais, Limousine, Gelbvieh and Short Horn. They all do have different personalities like people. Some are calm, some are wild, some are gentle, some are mean, and some just are the devil's own.
When we rescued Baby Belle and Baby Daisy, I thought they were sort of going to be mine, as I always conclude that, but soon enough TL and Mom were naming them. As the name for Belle was being decided upon by Holy Ghost Inspiration, I became not so much in the picture. This was fine as I have enough plants and animals to suffice the daily drama.
All that changed though when the girls arrived, as they were sick, and then cold weather set in, and Belle almost died, as her pilot light went out. Belle became a sticky poo inmate of the kitchen for a number of weeks, while Daisy was left in the shed with only me to deal with.
It was in that period that Baby Daisy developed her attachment to me.
I really never tried to form one, as we were busy, and I just fed and watered her, with time for a few pets. Then that damn ringworm set in, and it was the ordeal of us catching it, and the task being ebola unpleasant in these baby calves.
It took until June really for the ringworm to be gone. Thank God for that, and as we started working with training them to halter, Daisy was like trying to bulldog a steer at the rodeo as she has a great deal of the joy of life in her.
I do not believe in hitting animals as they never want to be around you. Mind you I will swat a dog on the butt, and I did swat Daisy on the side of the neck and shoulder when she decided that bunting me was a new sport, but if you hit an animal, they remember it and will not come to you when you want them to.
I prefer to just sort of by positive thinking, have the animal learn to behave, and often they learn to take care of you in being protective.
We have had trial and trials, as Daisy decided to get out one evening and it was a hell of a time trying to corner her and catch her, as animals do get wild when they are unfamiliar with their surroundings, and all here was new to Daisy.
Belle just stayed in the pen, as that is her personality. She is a little turd in finding ways to get to places she should not. The girls are usually in a mode of Belle sneaks in a direction. Daisy gets pointed in that direction and then with a stampede both joyfully are off in that direction running.
The first time they disappeared, they were in our hay field, and thankfully did not get into the neighbors corn as we would have not been able to see them. Since then, they dutifully find their way to a little wet bottom and stand there grazing with only an electric fence wire which is not on, keeping them in.
This though is about Daisy as yesterday she ran through the corn like a herd of elephants again, and once through there, she was just fine.
Today we had her in the yard, and my back has been giving me problems as in spasms, so I said hello to the girls and walked over to some chairs, and I was surprised as Daisy had followed me over like a dog and was under my arm as I looked down.
I think Daisy is probably around 500 pounds now, and you can not believe how something that big, can sneak up on you that quickly and quietly. She is highly affectionate and that is why she follows me around. She is attached to me and wants my attention, and acts up to get it, and acts up to punish me for not paying attention to her.
Today's rodeo though was not finished as we led them back to get some water, Daisy decided as her penchant to whack me with her head in a bunt, as she is just enjoying life, and wants to share that joy with me. That is the thing in this, in cows do bunt, Sometimes it is pecking order, sometimes it is mean, but with Daisy and me, it is her communicating to me in play.
Bulls do this and you get your ribs broke or killed, so do not EVER pet bull calves on the head. Cows usually settle down, and Daisy is just in that phase of hitting me pretty hard on the legs.
Again that was not the end of it, as after water, tradition has it that I then feed some grain to get them in the pen. Again I was a bit slow due to my back and I got the adrenalin surge as there was this huge calf under my arm again having snuck up on me, just after she bunted me.
There is not a mean bone in any of these two's bodies. Daisy uses her head to flip Belle up under her udder to move her out of the way, and Belle uses her little horns to poke Daisy out of the way. That is how they communicate as sisters. With me, Daisy communicates in joy of life that she likes being mothered by me. She will also go up to Mom and TL in looking for treats and pats.
Daisy is unusual though in knowing the difference between porcelain and adamantium. TL once experimentally began running while leading Daisy back to water, and Daisy picked up her leisurely walk into a gallop, tossing her head playfully but never touching TL harder than a butterfly's brush. Is like TL's puppy Vashti who was gentle with fragile people but played harder with those who had tougher hides.
We have had a Leona who was a Hereford Holstein cross who had the same personality and intelligence as these Jerseys. We had some Galloway Herefords which had a bit more life in them than necessary as they liked bouncing around to play with you. We had a Guernsey once who was a quiet thing of good nature, and her calf named Buttercup prolapsed her womb in calving, which means that she pushed it out. Cattle do not survive this well, so the vet said to shoot her and make hamburger out of her......Buttercup laid her head in my lap though wanting me to fix her, but there was no fixing except for bullet to the brain.
Things are not always joy in this, like Daisy coming over and deciding she wanted some more attention as we were sitting there, and picked up a garbage bag full of planter pots and tossed it in the air, as I said, "Daisy", and with that, she came over and got a few pets and was fine again.
I kept trying to get her out of the way in closing the panel, and said "Come on Daisy", and of course Daisy knows English and came to me as that is what I was telling her, and she tried to come out of the gate through me.
She has a talent really for being ninja sneaky in today she silently charged upon a blissfully unaware and munching Belle, and rammed into her at speed from behind, probably getting even with her for sneaking off to another grazing spot earlier and making Daisy play the game "Where's Baby Belle".
The girls are really good in putting the halters on them I have made. Daisy pokes her head through the panel and we put it on without any drama, but she is not that patient so I have to get it done.
I understand now the commenter who said that Jerseys will figure things out while Holsteins will just stand there stupid. These English cattle from the isles are very unique in their personalities, demands and are more dog like than bovine at times.
I watch Daisy as much as Belle, and those two know where we are. Belle is more independent acting, but Daisy is a girl who pays attention to where I am, what I am doing, and she remembers a great deal more than I thought she would.
Belle pretends not to know or care where we are, but if we move somewhere else then soon her little head comes up, ears, forward, peeking above the grass in tracking us.
I believe in allowing animals their freedom to develop their personality and with that, you really mould some character and allow them to become who they are. I have read of other writers who had cows on their porch showing up at night and cows waiting by the fence to share melons from the garden. A good cow, is like a good dog, a good horse and a good person. When you find one, they really are worth their weight in gold times a thousand.
I always talk to animals, as they do understand. Animals read your beta brain waves a great deal, as that is how prey animals read predators. These are big pets and that is what they are. They are children now, and as they mature, they will settle down to less bursts of energy. They will though not have any memory of me ever hitting them, to retaliate on me for. Animals need to behave, need to be disciplined, but they are also creatures who have memories and if you break that bond, they will never connect with you again and will make you pay in more ways than you ever thought possible.
God was good in these two girls. Jerseys, are a breed which are unique. I believe the miniatures are more independent, in being pampered fickle lines like small dogs tend to be. The full sized, which are still smaller than regular cows, seem more loving and desiring to interact with people. It is not saying that miniatures are bad, but they are different than the others. Most people would not connect that much or want that much time with cattle, so a miniature might be more their type of pet. We just let ours out for about an hour and a half each day, as we do things around here, and they enjoy and expect their time out of the pen in being at liberty.
I tend to like Irish Setters so I am more prone to the affectionate Daisy, even if Daisy is a bit more physical in her affections. Each though have a way of expressing their love of us.
I will leave this at that, but for you the animals you do invest in will be your children in attention and will give you what you put into them. It is when we have money, the idea to get some Jersey steers to make oxen out of them, as these two have trained very fast to being led, and Jerseys are a breed which are user friendly.
Except for Belle kicking me in the leg today for Belle reasons as I was spraying her for flies....which could have been flies or Belle just likes kicking at things which are dangerous like air to announce her enjoyment at being alive.......today was another good day. I got bunted in that leg and kicked in that leg.
What else are legs good for than playful bunts and kicks of Jersey yearlings eh.
agtG
