Bana is helping Alma feed his twin calf.

A twin is usually a blessing in disguise. It gets old feeding the twin on the bottle, and twins are typically smaller than a single birth. But, if you have another calf in your herd die then you have a calf that you can graft onto the cow!

Grafting is an amazing trick.

If you have a weak stomach don't read any further.

First, you skin the dead calf making sure to keep the tail attached, to not get holes in the hide, and not getting too much meat on the hide either. (it makes it stinky)

Next you tie the hide on the live calf-- good and tight.

After that you rub a little Orphan nomo on the calf's head and tail. This stuff smells a little like black licorice and coffee. It tricks the cow into thinking it is her calf. The cow will begin to smell the new calf and to lick it all over and then the calf gets hungry and knows where to get it's next meal.

And voila, you have love!

We usually lock the pair in a small stall for a couple of days until we're sure it is love (the hide still gets stinky!) then we turn them out with the herd. It is truly amazing.