In the space of a week, we've managed to pick up three more critters. I should have known that once I let Robert bring home one, I was only opening the flood gates. However, Carter is in heaven and just loves have all the animals around. Luckily I missed out on the goats. He almost had some guy give him 13 stray goats but Thank Heavens, they got claimed just in the nick of time! I wouldn't mind 1 but 13 is just WAY too many. I grew up with lots of animals around too, so I am glad that Carter is getting the opportunity as well. I will however be glad when she can start helping with all the chores of taking care of this petting zoo we seem to be running. She does try to help all she can now and is very good about feeding the two bunnies in the house every night. (In fact when we took back Purple Carrots, the guy mentioned that she looked like she had been fed very well!) Bottle feeding the calves however is a bit much right now although she really would like to help.
Sprinkles finally got a friend. We've been looking for a goat or something to keep her company since cattle are very much social animals and don't fare well when kept alone. My brother finally came up with a solution. He had found this little calf out wandering around alone in the pasture and figured it was probably a twin that got abandoned. They didn't have a cow who needed a baby, so he sent her up to us. I figure it's just about the same amount of work to feed one bottle baby as it is to feed two, so here she is. Plus it's a pretty nice deal since my brother takes care of the cost of the milk replacer and will just take the calf back when she's old enough. Robert still thinks we'll need one more friend for Sprinkles for when this calf (as of yet unnamed...) goes back, but now we have more time to find one. She is pretty feisty, especially compared to Sprinkles and I'm not sure that Sprinkles is too excited about the company just yet--both her ears were soaked in slobber this morning from where this new baby had been trying to nurse off them.
As if there weren't enough animals running around this outfit, Robert managed to bring home 3 baby wild bunnies. One escaped, so we just have the three. Carter calls them the "bitty bitty bunnies". They are very small. I was pretty sure they were just going to die...that's basically what I found on the websites when I looked up care for bunnies this small. However, they are wild, and so far seem to be managing fine with fresh grass and water. I was afraid they were going to need bottle feed and I just wasn't having any luck getting them to take any milk. We luckily have a very nice warming room built into the barn and it's working great for a nice warm OUTSIDE home for these bitty bitty bunnies.
Carter really likes to go visit and play with the new babies...although I doubt they share the sentiment. I have to watch her pretty careful, these guys are so dang small and could get hurt so easily. (The bottle babies really are a much better size for her...they can take a lot more mauling by an over eager toddler) But the bunnies are slowly taming down some and aren't so frantic when you come it to bring them fresh grass.
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