In 2007, my grandfather gave me my very first heifer calf. The calf and I were best friends. She’d follow me around like a puppy and give me the greatest “head hugs.” She had huge feet, an enormous head, and weighed nearly 2,000 pounds toward the end of her life. She gave birth to four heifer calves, which quickly became some of the foundation genetics for our herd. Her four heifer calves had the same huge feet, long head, and a blaze down their face. Her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren, all share the same big feet and personality. It has been incredible to watch the genetics come into play both phenotypically and genotypically. However, there is a mother and daughter duo that takes the grand prize for personality clones.

Trigger was the very last calf that my cow ever had. My cow passed away only days after having Trigger due to an unknown illness. Trigger was a replica of her mother. From her big head and big feet to her unwavering “head hugs” and kisses, they were identical. Now, Trigger, at 10 years old, has been placed into retirement. Her last heifer calf is going to calve in August. To say the two of them are two peas in a pod would be an understatement. Tink, Trigger’s last daughter, has the same huge feet and elongated head, and the unwavering ability to give the same much-needed “head hugs” and kisses. Tink is the largest heifer we currently have. Trigger weighs around 1,800 to 1,900 pounds at 10 years old. Tink is every bit of 1,500 to 1,600 pounds at only 2 years old. Both girls tower over the rest of the herd, but the best part is that they can usually be found side by side.

I do not know if cows can still smell their daughters when they are heifers. Tink and Trigger have always been inseparable and watching them now is like something out of a children’s book. They eat together, sleep together, and are never far away from each other. As Tink grows, I can already tell I have another Trigger on my hands, but I love that cow family and wouldn’t have it any other way.

---

The author is a sixth-generation farmer and fifth-generation dairy producer in southwest Virginia, where she and her family own and operate a 145-head Holstein dairy. Courtney is involved in agriculture organizations throughout her community and is a graduate of Virginia Tech.