Saving Matilda

Recently, while my husband was working out of state for two weeks, we had 18 first-calf heifers that were starting to calve....quite stressful, to say the least! However, we have 9 healthy babies on the ground so far!
I did have one particular momma who decided she wanted nothing to do with her new heifer calf, no matter what.
I watched, for several days, as this baby went to the other mommas in order to nurse. She was getting enough milk (along with the first colostrum) to survive, but certainly not thrive.
She's shown here, at the back of another momma, trying to nurse, while her own momma, #33 ignores her.

After several days of watching her own momma kick her and walk away from her, and watching other mommas knock her away, along with seeing her shiver in the cold, I knew I had to intervene. 

This little baby certainly had a lot of determination and a strong will to live. I was able to catch her and give her a supplemental bottle, which she took to instantly. She was hungry!

I then moved her to the big barn, gave her fresh water, a bed of straw and a heat lamp. For the first time in her life, she was full and warm and content.

Lots of people gave me lots of advice. Some was wonderful and helpful, some was very well meaning, but just not feasible for me to do by myself (like putting the momma in the chute and tying one of her legs up so that the baby could nurse.)

So this sweet little baby calf, now named Matilda, is a bottle-fed baby. She's adorable and full of spunk and personality! I'm thankful that I intervened and saved Matilda!