Saving the life of a calf

Last Monday we went on a road trip with the Meadows and the Knapps. Didn't find the lake in the volcano we were looking for. However, on the way up the mountain we spotted a new born calf that seemed really lethargic. On the way back down, it looked like it might be dead. The cow was bulging with milk, but she had mastitis and wouldn't let the calf nurse. Spencer and Ken milked out some milk into a gatorade bottle and poured it down the calf's throat. When it perked up a little, they tried to help it nurse, but the momma wasn't going to let it happen. She didn't completely reject the calf, she licked it and was attentive, but didn't let it latch on. Then the owners showed up--at least the mom and two kids. Dad was working in the fields somewhere. They said the calf was three days old and they were worried it might die. The cow had been a good mother to many other calves in the last 15 years. They had a baby bottle. The men poured the milk into the baby bottle and the calf sucked it right down. We kept feeding it until it was full. And the guys milked the cow out 'til she had a little relief. Hopefully, things will be better. We left the mother and children a couple of bottles of milk to give the calf later in the day. Spencer, of course, got manure on his clothes from the rope he had around the hind legs. We made him wash it off before we got back in the car. :) Spencer and Ken were the heroes of the day! The four year old boy is Brandon and the seven year old girl is Shirley. Odd names for Mayan children, don't you think? In the course of the day, we saw sheep on the hillside, pigs, cows and horses tethered to graze and chickens and roosters roaming. It was a fun outing.