Johnny #5

Derek & Johnny #5, one week old 10.17.10

Johnny #5 is a calf that I acquired in October of 2010 when he was just a few days old.  A neighbor gave him to me for free (probably because he didn't think he was going to survive).  He was from a set of twins, and the mother cow only took care of one of the calves.  He was very weak when we brought him home, and could barely stand on his own.  After a few days of milk replacer, he was already doing much better.  I got up every morning at 4am for the first few months to feed him a bottle before I went to work.  He even came with us out to Grandma Ardath's farm last year when we took the camper out for a weekend of pheasant hunting.  

Johnny #5 travels to Grandma's farm in dog kennel 10.17.10

By Christmas, he no longer needed the milk, and currently he is doing well outside with a few older heifer calves from last year.  My niece Lilly named him Johnny, and it was just by chance that his ear tag happened to be #5.  Today, when I went out to do chores, I found him lounging inside of the "calf proof" round bale feeder.

Johnny #5 lounging inside bale feeder 4.4.11

Johnny is the second bottle calf that I have raised.  In July of 2009, I bottle-fed my first calf, Joe.  

My friend, Elizabeth, feeds Joe a bottle 9.18.09