Learning Process

I told you about the new calf living on our hilltop on Monday.  She's very pretty, with plenty of white, and a delightful red color.

Sunday morning, I spied the new calf's momma grazing in the pasture west of my house. I realized the calf must be nearby, but where. Then I spotted her.

Momma had tucked her new baby in a nice warm spot in the sun on the north side of the fence.  She was now grazing south of that fence.

I immediately called Sharon to come look at how the cow had tucked her baby away. Sharon no more than got to the gate to see, and the baby decided it was time to get up and go find her momma.

As soon as she stood up, Sharon was worried. "How's the baby going to get through the fence?"

"Don't worry. The baby'll figure it out."

"How do you know?"

"Just watch."

The calf got up, looked toward her momma,  Sure enough, she started up the fence toward the open gate. But she only went up the fence part way, then turned and came back toward where she'd been lying.

Sharon is calling encouragement to the calf. "No, no.  Turn around and go the other way, baby."

The calf decided going in the direction away from the gate was the wrong way, so turned around again.

"That's it baby. Now go around the gate."

This time the calf went to the hinge-post before turned around.

"No, no, no.  Go the other way, all the way around the gate."

I chuckled and told Sharon the baby was learning about fences this morning, and not to worry.

This time, almost as if she heard Sharon coaching her, the calf walked around the gate then made a bee-line for Momma. And of course, as soon as she got to her mother, she spun into the correct position and got a drink of milk.