Newborn Calf Can't Contain Joy As He Frolics With Friend

Spring is a time for new beginnings and new life. On the farm, this means animals are born, grass and crops sprout and everything is fresh and green. May is when the cows give birth and their calves are trying out their legs for the first time. For them, everything is new and worth exploring. Every hill is a place to race up and down, every clump of grass is something to chew, and every other calf is a friend to play with.

This little grey calf is about a week old and he has more energy than most. He runs like a puppy and challenges even the older cows to a game of chase or head butting. His name is "Socks" due to the distinctive white feet that contrast with his grey hair.

Socks finds that the younger cows make much better playmates and he has a young friend who is happy to play with him. Gordy was born the same day as Socks and the two are the same size. As they push each other with their heads lowered, the game can be mistaken for aggression. Socks' protective mother, Felicity heads over to chase away his buddy. But Socks follows and tries to continue his game. This time, it's Linda, his friend's mother, who puts a halt to the antics. She moves in and sticks her nose in between the two calves. When Socks doesn't realize he's getting a hint, Linda gently, but firmly pushes Socks away, sending him back toward his mother.

Like a chastised young boy with a saucy attitude, Socks jumps and kicks up his feet. In the world of animals, this is a slight challenge and his way of saying "try and catch me" to Linda. Socks runs around in a few circles and then tries to play with Gordy some more. Linda puts her ears and head down and moves at him with a sterner approach. Wisely, Socks makes a run for it. But he has too much energy left and he starts to bounce like a wind up toy with the switch turned to the "on" position. Socks runs right past the camera and down the hill in search of someone else to play with.

These cows live on a wonderful farm in Millbrook, Ontario. They roam free in the sunshine over lush, green pastures surrounded by forest on three sides. The farmers keep a careful watch over their herd from their farmhouse on the hill. It's life as close as possible to what nature intended for these beautiful and gentle animals. This is what is known as an "ethical farm" and it's easy to find them almost everywhere. It's worth a little research and a slightly higher price to support those farmers who are committed to treating their animals as humanely as possible.