The Continued Story of Hope

     To relate the next part of Hope's tale, I must leave her and go to our cow herd where calving season was in full swing. One cow had caught our attention, and in a bad way. Her name was Peach, and we were having problems with her not letting her calf nurse. Since this had happened with Peach before, and was likely to happen again, we decided it was time to sell her. Instead of selling her calf with her, we decided to keep her calf as a bucket calf, so Hope would have some company. That was how Faith joined us.

     Hope and Faith became great buddies, growing up together. They also became good friends with our dog, Missy. Through that summer Farm Boy and I spent a lot of time with them. We discovered that Hope led exceptionally on a halter, but Faith was obstinate. As soon as you had the halter on her, she'd flop down on the ground and lie there until it was taken off.

     When late fall came, it was time to wean all the other calves from their mothers, and Hope and Faith were put in the same pen with them. Farm Boy and I still went out every day to see them, and we discovered they worked like cowmooflage. When we were standing with Hope and Faith, they weren't scared of us, allowing us to infiltrate the other calves' suspicions and become friends with them all! That was by far the tamest group of weanlings we have ever had. We even got a halter on one of the steers! Our reasoning was, 'If we get a halter on him, dad will have to let us keep him and he can be our ox and pull us around a cart!' It didn't happen.

     When sale day came, all the steers went and a good half of the heifers. Much to our grief that included Faith. Hope was kept because she had no tail. (Really, just a little 3 inch stub. It's likely a genetic problem, but we aren't sure.) Her lack of tail would dock her sale price a lot so Dad decided we would keep her. He gave her a chance with all the rest of the heifers we had kept for cows, and if she was bred, she would become part of our herd. If not, to sale she would go. A few months later we took all the heifers (first time calvers) to the vet to check whether or not they were pregnant. When he said yes on Hope, our joy was unbridled! (Not to mention everyone in the county deafened by our joyous shouts xD)

To be continued...