7 heifer calves...5 bull calves...and who knows how many thousands of pounds of milk produced...
Not many milking cows live to the ripe old age of 13, all the while looking and acting like they're perhaps 5 or 6 years old. Cows come and go, but it was still hard to think of Belle going on the truck this morning. I was glad when the guy who came for her sent me off to do something else so I didn't have to watch.
This was just a few days ago, leading the pack to greener pastures for the evening...
Belle was a tremendous cow...the last Belltone daughter we had. I wonder who will become the new leader of the pack?
Oh gosh I hate that part. I remember when my Dad would do it he would stand and cry and I don't know what was worse that or loosing a friend who had done the work so faithfully. I had my own cow named Susie. I had her from the time I was 5 until I was 17 I came home from school one day and she was gone. You know reading your post made me remember that and I never asked where she was gone to or who took her or if my Dad did it, I just never asked.
ReplyDeleteI was afraid. I know it was so hard for you.
So sorry about Belle, wow she was a tremendous cow.
ReplyDeleteHugs, JB
Oh I am sorry Alica Belle sounds lovely and I am sure you will miss her. We met with our drover on the weekend we are selling all my babies:( you know the calves I looked after and photographed since they were born in the winter (stockers). This is going to be hard and I have to help.
ReplyDeleteSelling twenty,not enough hay more later. That is going to be really hard a weekend I am not going to enjoy. Sometimes I wonder why I farm. Hugs my friend. B
Alica, you were blessed to have had Belle. But not as blessed as she was to have had you. George
ReplyDeleteoh Alica..
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry.
What a hard thing to have to do.
Sending you hugs..
K.
I love the beautiful photo of Belle. Such beauty in simple things. Thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry. It's really hard. I lost my first goat ever a few months ago and it was hard. She was ill (CAE) so we had to put her down. We kept her hide to make a drum out of her. So she will live on in one way.
ReplyDeleteSorry you lost a good cow. Makes me sad to think about it.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine that day when our cow dies. I know that Maggie will be our forever cow, she is our first cow.
So sorry to hear you've lost your friend. It's the part of farming that truly requires dedication.
ReplyDeleteOh you so have my sympathy. She looks damn fine for 13! I know the feeling.
ReplyDeletehow sad! i hate that for you... everybody thinks they are just COWS. but they are not to those of us who raise them and care for them daily. its the part i hate about raising livestock. take care!
ReplyDeleteoh no, how sad! i love your picture of belle.
ReplyDeleteIt must be the season, we had a loss here too. By going on the truck, I hope she was already "gone".... poor old thing... but she was a pretty cow!
ReplyDeleteThat's always tough. We feel the same way about our sheep, it's always hard to lose the ones that have been around so long and have out produced themselves.
ReplyDeleteaw, poor Belle! she looks so pretty and clean in the first picture...she is so adorable! sorry to hear she is gone. :(
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about Belle. She had a good, long life there with you guys. {{HUGS}}
ReplyDeletewhen I was growing up we had a dairy farm and I know how much some cows mean to you. a few times we could not bare to see these special cows have to go through the sales ring and slaughter house but could not keep them. Dad had them butchered and made into hamburger, it took a while for us to be able to eat the meat and many needy families had a little extra meat on the table but we knew where that special cow went and the treatment she had the last few days of her life.
ReplyDelete