Blossom retires with style.

Ronney · #21 12/30/07, 07:16 AM

Emily, fabulous photos, fabulous cows - and fabulous is a word I hate but can't come up with another.

And all your cows have HORNS! I thought I was the only one who did that.

I have a friend who breeds stud Angus. She has a 18 year old cow and this year is always going to be her last breeding year - except that she doesn't say which year this year is. And every year she produces another fantastic calf, usually a bull, that goes on to be a stud animal. Like your Blossom, the cow is looking old but is given the best of care and is an excellent mother.

Funny how cows udders give out when they get to be 12-13. I had a wonderful old Jersey with an udder that looked as equally as disgusting as Blossoms but it didn't go west until she was 12. I was handmilking in those days and couldn't use a bucket because her udder was so low and had to use a wide, shallow bowl for the job. She too would have been shot on the farm but she had a heart attack at 15. I have her daughter and granddaughter and I never milk the daughter without thinking of her mother - as she ages, she's her mother all over again. Can open sliding doors into the feed shed with her horns, tests every gate to see if it's latched and if it isn't off she goes, comes to the call, puts herself into the milking bale.

BTW, what breed are the dogs?

Cheers,
Ronnie

sheeplady · #22 12/31/07, 04:21 PM

We had a Jersey, Holly, who lived to 27 years old. We stopped breeding her at about 17, same as yours. I finally had the vet put her down as she got very arthritic.The vet said it was the oldest Jersey he knew, but of course we pampered her alot, not a commercial dairy just a small homestead. I made tons of butter, mozzarella, cottage cheese, etc from her over the years. Great milker! That was 15 years ago and I still miss her.

Kate

willow_girl · #23 01/02/08, 06:04 PM

Great thread; thanks!

nduetime · #24 01/02/08, 06:21 PM

Let me chime in for the great pics.

That little heifer is just too precious.

My contribution is "Petal"

dezeeuwgoats · #25 01/02/08, 06:26 PM

I'd like to suggest - Orange Blossom. Or what about 'New Blossom'? That's what would happen around here......So you'd have an 'Old Blossom' and a new one, and when Old Blossom moves on - Blossom will inherit her name without the prefix.

I sure hope our first milk cow (still a heifer calf) has as long and productive a life as Blossom has.

Niki

ozark_jewels · #26 01/05/08, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronney

BTW, what breed are the dogs?

Cheers,
Ronnie

Thanks for the great post, Ronnie.

The dogs are Great Pyrenees. Four of the litter of 7 pups born in September. They guard the goats, cows, horse and the farm. I *love* this breed.

ozark_jewels · #27 01/05/08, 07:32 PM

All those were great names.....I was pulling for Peach Blossom.......but my sister who does most of the Jersey milking has more sway than I in the cow naming department, so she got to make the final decision. Jasmine Blossom it is.

I had planned on weaning her over onto goat milk and drying Blossom off while still allowing her to mother the calf. But the little stinker has found out where the "spigots" are always available and she gets all the milk she wants straight off mama now. So we'll let her stay on Blossom till weaning. She practically has to get on her knees to suck the back teats......