Two dams bond following loss of calf

Member Rosemary Woodward, whose family own the Nutbrook herd of White Park cattle in Derbyshire, recently contacted us with a story about how a cow has moved on from the loss of her calf at birth.

“Our White Parks have started calving now and our first cow calved without issue.  Sadly, the next cow to calf was not straight forward and she lost her calf. We fetched her in to try and assist her, but when we returned her to the field she started mothering the first calf which had been born to the other cow.  Now the pair of cows mother the one calf together.   We are surprised that the mother allowed this to happen, as they are normally so protective of their own calves, but they seem to be happily working together. We had a look of the pedigrees of the two cows and noticed that while they differ is age, they are in fact full sisters.”