Glad I didn't sell her

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OleScout

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Lost old #07 yesterday, I'm guessing 17-18yo, my record keeping is not the best. She was born on the place. She knew the drill, never a problem, never got sick, never got out, raised a nice calf every year. When the herd was caught and sorted she knew she needed to get through that sort gate and out of the way. For the last 3 or 4 years I've said "when she weans this calf I need to let her go to town".
Every time she'd come to the sort gate expecting to go on out like she's always done and I would hold her up for a second then let her on by. "Get one more calf off her" I'd tell myself.
That same scenario played out again two weeks ago. I'm holding the sort gate and she is looking at me like "Why'd you stop ME?". So my rational for letting her out this time was to put on a little more condition on her. Thinking " I'll sell her in a month or so".
Monday afternoon I saw her laying away from the herd, rode over to check on her. She looked ok, didn't seem to be in distress. She got up when I insisted. I had that feeling that you get when you can tell its time, I knew her time was near. I went back to the barn and got her two scoops of sweet feed. (I tell my wife that sweet feed to cattle is like ice cream to people).
I sat out there and had a good talk with #07 while she ate her feed. Thanked her for her contributions to our farm and family, told her I could tell she was tired and ready to go and that was alright with me.
When I got up yesterday morning I could see she had moved during the night. After work yesterday I went to see where she was, she had moved to one of their loafing spots under some big oaks and passed away.
Glad I didn't sell her!!!!
 
M-5":37kvcq3z said:
Glad you didn't sell her either. I did sell one of my ole girls one time and still regret it. some just have that bond and know how its supposed to be done.

Quit that nonsense, a cows job is to have a calf every year. It's crazy how this kind of stuff comes up on here.
 
True Grit Farms":pco0z9bp said:
M-5":pco0z9bp said:
Glad you didn't sell her either. I did sell one of my ole girls one time and still regret it. some just have that bond and know how its supposed to be done.

Quit that nonsense, a cows job is to have a calf every year. It's crazy how this kind of stuff comes up on here.

you sell that one you favored a little more than the others yet ???
 
I certainly hand out pardons I shouldn't from time to time. "She's good for one more calf"

But I wouldn't be happy about her laying out there in the pasture instead of being in my wallet
 
callmefence":32rfia3j said:
I certainly hand out pardons I shouldn't from time to time. "She's good for one more calf"

But I wouldn't be happy about her laying out there in the pasture instead of being in my wallet

out of all I've ever had , only 2 deserved to die on my place. I still have one and the other one I sold
 
Well. It made my eyes water. I put value on life. Especially mammals. And it seems the bigger they are, the bigger their heart is.

Not more than 5 minutes ago, a cow I raised on the farm came running to me. I pet her.
Scratched under her belly around her navel. She likes that. I talked to her. I told her she is my Twister Baby.
 
I never thought I'd do it, but I have one cow left that I inherited from my father when he passed away in 2007, and I decided last winter that she's going to die in my pasture. Either from natural causes, or if it looks she's hurting too bad I'll put her down. She wasn't young when Dad died, is getting pretty gray, and doesn't have a hair left on the back of her ears, but she still has a calf every year. This year's looks a little knotty, but it's the first heifer she's had in a long time, so I'll probably keep it. This is the first one I've ever decided not to sell, and it might well be the last. If anyone wants to laugh at me for it, that's okay. I'm old enough that I just don't care.
 
melking":25pin4ey said:
Sad for anyone that has gone past the ability to feel for special animals.

Nice thought. Each of us lives life based on the philosophy we culture. Everyone does not share my life experiences, my philosophy or my beliefs. They may not appreciate what I see in an animal like a cow. On the other hand, I actually have the capacity to see their point of view.
 
HDRider":5rkgjm92 said:
We should be thankful, and thoughtful.

I know I am. I am also guilty of being anthropomorphic. I put human characteristics on my pets and my cows are pets.

I have two dogs that live with me. I see emotions in their behavior. Their enthusiasm when they see me. The joy that display when being petted in my lap, the desire they have for food, etc. Hard to not interpret that in human terms.
 
Bright Raven":1rtoe2ir said:
HDRider":1rtoe2ir said:
We should be thankful, and thoughtful.

I know I am. I am also guilty of being anthropomorphic. I put human characteristics on my pets and my cows are pets.

I have two dogs that live with me. I see emotions in their behavior. Their enthusiasm when they see me. The joy that display when being petted in my lap, the desire they have for food, etc. Hard to not interpret that in human terms.

But at the end of the day they are just animals.
 
M-5":phrqhv53 said:
Bright Raven":phrqhv53 said:
HDRider":phrqhv53 said:
We should be thankful, and thoughtful.

I know I am. I am also guilty of being anthropomorphic. I put human characteristics on my pets and my cows are pets.

I have two dogs that live with me. I see emotions in their behavior. Their enthusiasm when they see me. The joy that display when being petted in my lap, the desire they have for food, etc. Hard to not interpret that in human terms.

But at the end of the day they are just animals.

Yes. Not sure what "just" means. Would you say mankind is "just" an animal?
 
Years ago I bought a bull at K-State's sale. He was halter broke and easy to handle. He became a novelty of the neighborhood. He liked to be brushed and later on as the years went by, he had his own XL horse blanket for the winter cold. He would load in the trailer anywhere out in the pasture. Just pull up to him and open the trailer door. Spring of 2010 he was 11. He didn't go to grass with the cows. He died in November. I loaded him onto a trailer with my skid loader and took back roads to the pasture he'd walked for many summers. I dug a hole on a side hill overlooking the corral, covered him with a blanket and filled the hole in. I've never done that before and probably will never do it again. But if I had to do it over-I wouldn't change anything.
 
M-5":7jbn62we said:
Man is top of food chain everything below us is " just " pets or food , people that value animals as equal to humans are coo coo for coco puffs

I disagree.
 
M-5":1tugpgks said:
Bright Raven":1tugpgks said:
M-5":1tugpgks said:
Man is top of food chain everything below us is " just " pets or food , people that value animals as equal to humans are coo coo for coco puffs

I disagree.
That's par for the course

People disagree, Darryl. There is no shame on either side for that.
 
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