Soule: Love for Calves Named Lewis and Clark

I wasn’t sure Clark would make it.
I’d bought day-old Clark and another week-old bull calf from a dairy farm in New Hampton. Both calves drank milk formula like champs. Then, on day four, Clark quit. He turned his nose up at the bottle, and a calf that won’t drink is in trouble.

Milk Is for Humans
The truth about dairy cows surprises most people. A cow, just like a human mother, makes milk to feed her baby. But on a dairy farm, people usually take a calf from its mother at birth so we can get her milk into our cheese, yogurt, kefir, and, let’s be honest, ice cream. That’s how these two male calves came to me so young. The farm needs the milk.

Separating a calf from its mother may seem cruel, but we humans love our dairy.

Besides, a dairy cow produces far more milk than even one or two calves can drink. Too much milk can give a calf scours, a severe diarrhea that is often fatal. Turns out you really can have too much of a good thing.

Click Here to Find out what Happened to Clark

Carole Soule, co-owner of Miles Smith Farm in Loudon, N.H., would love you to share your used pumpkins with her cattle. Just bring them to the farm and follow the signs. You can reach Carole at carole@cow-coach.com