the first meeting

On the property next to ours lives one cow and her newborn calf. On the other side of our property lives a small herd of cattle consisting of about 10-12 cows, calves and one black bull. My neighbors and I recently installed a fence separating the single cow from the herd. The herd is allowed the run of our property except for the forbidden areas where we have fenced them out. Early this morning while the chill was still in the air and the dew was still on the ground the herd came to the fence line to greet the single cow. I think her name is Katy. I believe they all came to see the new calf and to welcome it to the world or maybe just to inspect it. It was an endearing sight. In just a little while they were all lying on their respective sides of the fence chewing their cud, the inspection over, the infant accepted.

To learn more about cows and the behavior of other animals read one of my favorite and enlightening books, "Animals In Translation" by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson.