Buttercup had pooped in the milking stall and in the lower barn when exiting, so it took me a little longer to wash up. Brought the fresh milk through the tunnel and went to the garage to pick up Amandas' milk jars and when I re-entered through the kitchen door, Herbie called to me saying Buttercup was down in the pasture and what was wrong with her. I looked out the window, went straight to the buggy, fetched ropes from the shed and drove out to the pasture while Herbie walked. She was trying to get up as I was trying to tie ropes to her legs to pull her into a more upright position so she could get her legs under her when she just died. She must have slipped in the mud and couldn't get her legs under her to get up. I still cannot believe it ! Our most prolific milker with a 25 day old heifer calf, gone, just like that. I'm devastated. Why is farming so hard ?
I now have a calf who doesn't see me as a provider of milk, less 2/3 of the daily milk I was getting and 3 lambs currently being bottle fed Jersey milk. I'm beside myself. How could this happen ?? 3 1/2 years old, given us 2 heifer calves, and $ 1,200 worth of cow, now dead ! Dolly gives about 2 gallons of milk per day, so I can cover the milk herd-share owners, but don't have enough to feed Buttercups' calf and the lambs as well. What am I going to do ? Maybe I will need to fight with Pearl again, or maybe Little Red with allow Worsie to nurse as well with her calf Big Red, or best scenario, Pearl will adopt Worsie and nurse her. I have milk replacer for both the calf and the lambs, but in my past experience, they just don't do well on it. Hopefully Star is about 6 months pregnant and due in August, so that I can dry Dolly up 2 months before she calves end October.
Teri came around this afternoon for eggs, will see her again before she goes back to Wheaton after a long week-end here in Saranac. She brought me some basil starts, 2 different kinds, thank you Teri, and I showed her how well the catnip she brought me last time is doing. She needs some yoghurt starter to take back home with her.
Deb came and collected their milk, and everyone thinks that Fish and Wanda are just too cute. Deb tried to have Fish suck her finger like he does mine, but nope, he wouldn't oblige.