Victor Justin Rhodes and his family bottle-feed their newborn calf Flossie for the first time while keeping her mother Phyllis at a distance. They work through the challenges of getting Flossie to drink and weaning her off a tarp shelter, with young Josiah helping out on the farm.
We have this adorable cat. Here we're gonna try this. I don't know how hopeful I am. This, this calf is older. She is hungry. She hadn't had mama all night. They were separated, so mama built some milk. Okay, y'all ready? Yeah. Josiah, come around to the other side. You want to do the bottle and I'll hold her head?
Sure.
Put some on the, put some on the nipple. Okay, here you go, Josiah. Now be careful of the mom, okay?
Look at the back, so it's like the mom is there. Oh, this is like the mom is here. Oh, this is like the mom is milking her.
The squeeze down in there for her.
She's using her tongue to milk it. I bet that's how a cow milks her— milks the milk out with a tongue. Hey, Papa, I'm like, I can!
Hi!
How'd you do that? Like this? Okay, I don't think she's— she's gonna—
she's trying to butt it.
She's trying to butt it like a mama does. No, not a mama, a calf. She's really drinking a long sip, isn't she? Here, Papa, this helps her know that her— this makes her think her mother's behind her. She tries to butt it, doesn't she, Papa?
All right, what do you think, guys? She might be a little old for that, huh?
Look, watch, she needs to milk out. Can I try? Here, Kathy.
Are you a little old for that?
Okay, milk fight. Hey, let me try to get the calf at drinking it. Push it. Do it. Do it how you do it.
Okay, here's what we've done. We've put Aunt Phyllis out in the holding area. We've put the calf back. Hey, it's time to train Flossie. We're gonna remove yet another tarp today. Weaning herself off of these tarps. You got our snacks ready? By the way, all this bellowing, that was Bear, and it's Phyllis really wanting her calf back. It's not Flossie. Okay, you ready, Miss Thing? Hey guys, here she comes! Wow, wow! Whoa, whoa, are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? I just, I just flipped that around to make sure this was recording. We caught it, honey! Okay, brush her down real good. Here, you want some more, honey? Here, here you go, sweetie. Wow, she— wow, wow, she's really kicking this morning. Probably because my hands are so cold. Oh, you know what, I'm not gonna touch her. I'm not gonna touch her today. My hands are too cold. But let's do— let's do brush her. It's okay, Flossie. It's all right. Let's call it a day. Let's call it a day while we're on top, huh? Sure, let's get in and get warmed up. Take them out, Laura. No, Laurel, this way. Laurel, come here. Let's get them this way. Hey, Jonah, watch out, watch out.
Maybe I like to see that.
Mommy's gonna Watch, watch, watch. Laurel, she's gonna get kicked. She probably will get kicked. She's keeping them, she's keeping them moving. That's amazing. Oh, Laurel, good job! Come here, come here, come here, come here! Good job, good job! Yay, yay, yay!
I have 4 shirts on, Papa.
That'll do it.
So, now what do I do?
Where's the milk?
It's not over here. The cats will tear them apart.
Here, a little bit for each cat.
Can both cats get at that?
Yeah. Okay, we have to get them a new water because that That water is solid frozen.
It is?
Yeah. Laura, come here. Laura, she's licking that. They like this raw food way over— way more than they like that processed dog food.
Yeah.
If I had to start my Homestead all over again, it could only pick one animal… 
