Our Zor'ka is home!
Well, technically, she is still a little one-month-old heifer, but
this event is already a whole adventure for our family!
The idea of getting a cow and a little backstory is available at this link.
Moving Zor'ka! It was quite an event!
Walking her through the village would have been unwise because, being only ten days old, she would have been scared of dogs, cars, people, and just about everything in the human world (she hasn't seen the city yet! 🙃).
So it was decided to take her on the back seat of a car! As a full-fledged passenger!
"I am a passenger!..
Singin' la la la la la la la la..."
With a little effort and direction, the little cow settled comfortably in the back seat.
On the road, Zorka kept trying to stand up for some reason, and when she succeeded, I petted her and pulled her collar down to keep her balance.
Overall, the trip went smoothly, except that little Zorka peed in our car. 😝
To not get upset, I took it as inevitable and a good reason to wash the car and clean the interior.
We haven't arranged a permanent residence for our cow yet - that's a fundamental construction work.
I'll tell you about it in detail when there's something to show.
And now, temporarily, for the warm season, we have placed our Zorka in one of the barns, in a dry, spacious, draft-free place under the roof.
For the first two weeks, I fed her milk from a bucket: two liters, three times a day.
Milk for our Zorka, I took from her mother Gavryusha. And I went every day to our friends to get it.
I even learned how to milk a cow and once milked everything myself! A whole 10 liters!
Gradually, I reduced the amount of milk, diluting it with flax jelly. (It is made from flax seeds. If you're interested in how exactly, write in the comments, and I'll describe the recipe and method of preparation). This jelly is also useful for people.
So, in three weeks, we switched from milk with jelly to jelly with water, and now Zorka drinks water from a bucket or a small pond by herself and feeds on fresh grass while grazing.
Every morning, I take her out of the barn and attach her to a stake on a chain: each time in a new spot with fresh grass. At noon, My Dear one takes her for a walk to a small lake from which she happily drinks fresh water to her heart's content. My Dear one chooses a new succulent spot for Zor'ka and ties her there until evening.
In the evening, after drinking from the pond or the bucket, we say goodbye until the next kind morning!
Our heifer is very playful and energetic, and her behavior reminds us of a puppy. But this poses a big dilemma!
It may seem like a good idea to raise a cow from a young age by jumping and running around with her, having "sport wrestling" competitions 🤪, and letting her graze in a free-range area.
However, **there are some warnings to consider. **
Any animal that lives with humans should be trained from a young age, so that everyone can live together comfortably for a long time.
Therefore, a young cow should not be played with or encouraged to jump and run around, because when she grows up into a big cow, she will continue to do so. But a ton of live weight jumping around next to a human won't be as amusing! 😬
Not only is it not advisable to playfully wrestle with her before she grows horns, but even scratching her head and forehead is not recommended because it can develop a habit of headbutting in cows.
Free-range grazing without a tether is also good for the cow, as a cow not accustomed to being tethered from a young age will never get used to it and will become a big problem for owners like us, whose private pastures are limited. So, as we raise our cow, we are also raising ourselves. We humans deny ourselves the pleasure of playing with a small animal now, so that we can enjoy living together in the future!
I sincerely invite you to continue following the development of our relationship with Zorka and how our life unfolds! It's incredibly interesting to me! 🤠
Thank you for your attention!
For the benefits of all living beings!
