ANIMAL UPDATE!

There has been a lot of activity in the yard of late. From a new calf to chicken-turkeys and the cat’s first birthday, things have been going wild (Har. Har).

I have to say, the cow had the looooooongest pregnancy ever. Maybe it just felt like a really long time. I actually thought that it was a hysterical pregnancy brought on my host family’s desire for a calf. Turns out it wasn’t a hysterical pregnancy and a baby girl-calf was splayed out in the neighbor’s yard when I got home (from where, I can’t remember. Maybe the beach?).  We named her (meaning I named her) a name I can no longer remember….because the names don’t actually stick. But anyway, she’s healthy and super cute. She also thinks that everything is a teat, and will stick anything in her mouth.

The mother cow also got sick. And then it got better. I don’t actually know what the deal was. The milk wasn’t flowing or something? Oh, the joys of living among livestock.

You always hear stories of humans being raised by wolves (oh wait…that was the Jungle Book) and kittens being raised by dogs (like those cute pictures my mom always sends you guys via e-mail). Well, we had a gaggle (?) of chicks raised by the family of turkeys. I didn’t realize until the chickens started gobbling like the turkeys. Funny how those things work. I’m not exactly sure what happened to Mama Chicken, but I do know that the chicken that’s normally popping out eggs like nobody’s business isn’t their mother. She’s been having her own broods. So that means we may have eaten her.

One of the neighbor’s sows had 14 piglets. 14 PIGLETS. That’s going to be a lot of  bacon…that I won’t be able to enjoy because Georgians don’t eat bacon. SAD.

The cat has taken on the habit of ridding our house of bats. He then leaves them in the foyer half dead. I was told by a fellow PCV that cats do this because they think that us humans are lesser beings and can’t do things for ourselves. It’s probably true.

Efron, the male chicken I’ve spoken about previously, was not killed to feed my friends and I for my birthday supra. This time, he got  lucky.

In other pig news: our sow was killed for food. My host dad left her hanging in the shed. THAT was a fabulous thing to wake up to one morning. I also don’t understand where she all went to. I’m guessing she was distributed among the neighborhood, but I, of course, have no idea. I do have pictures of her final (as a whole pig) resting place, but I feel they are not for the weak at heart (or members of PETA), so I will keep them to myself.

OH! So, the mysteries of the male cow have been solved! This topic of conversation was breached when I asked about whether or not our female cows were pregnant. I don’t remember how we actually got onto the conversation…I can’t imagine this question just POPPED into my head. But anyway, I was told by Luda, that yes, the cows were most likely pregnant. Well, then I asked how and where were the boy cows (you only ever see female adult cows out and about). Badri ended up taking our 2 female adult cows over to the neighbor’s house for a bit of a livestock love-fest, if you will. The magical moments happened about 2 months ago. Why I was never called to attend-because I know my  host family has caught on to my farm-frenzy fascination-I do not know. But alas, in 9 months time NEW BABY COWS. Side note: the youngest female cow (who bore the calf from above) has small teats and that makes it hard for Luda to milk her. It worried her in the beginning. I don’t know; don’t ask.

The pig may or may not be pregnant. I guess we wait and see if anything pops out?

Simba the dog built himself a bunker on New Years Eve because of all the firecrackers going off. I also thought the cat had run away because of all the noise. Bella Bitchi did come back, eventually.