Creature Comforts (Open)
Oct 1, 2009 13:26:08 GMT -5
Post by wanderer on Oct 1, 2009 13:26:08 GMT -5
Floriann Mills
Let me give my love to you
Let me take your hand
As we walk in the dimming light
Or darling understand, that everything, everything ends
Let me give my love to you
Let me take your hand
As we walk in the dimming light
Or darling understand, that everything, everything ends
Floriann sat down on the soft straw she had just put down for the calf she would be fostering this year. The beasts mother, Annabel, lay on the ground, lifeless.
After an exhausting 27 hours, the runt calf had been born at the expense of the best cow her father had ever bred. The calf had taken almost 10 minutes to kick into life, Flo's arms ached with the effort of constantly rubbing and movining the animal. Flo looked at the useless animal, too small to survive for long without constant care and attention. The next few months would be long and hard, but first she needed to feed the calf.
She reached over to the dead cow's udder and squeezed. The wax covering the teat was pushed out and milk began to squirt from it. Technically, Flo should not be taking milk from a dead cow, but it was still warm and contained vital colostrum- which didn't come cheap in market stalls. The calf was unlikely to survive anyway.
She filled the bottle she had brought with her from her farm house, ensuring that the rubber end was secured tightly to prevent spilling any of the milk. The calf immediately knew what to do. Acting purely on instinct, it began to suckle thirstily from the bottle.
Flo smiled, at least someone is happy.
The bottle quickly ran dry, the calf mewed for more. Flo slumped on the ground, tired by her efforts. She closed her eyes, inhaling the soft smell of straw mixed with hay, it comforted her as she drifted to sleep.
The calf settled next to its new mother, laying its head on her lap and shivering slightly as it warmed itself up using her body heat. He mooed quietly before falling asleep too.
