Unexpected and sad butchering

ozark_jewels · #1 05/19/06, 12:16 PM

Well, our 10 year old Jersey milk cow, Honey, died yesterday. She was seven months along, in prime condition and went down two weeks ago for no apparent reason in the extremely rainy weather we've been having, and nothing we or the vet could do would get her back on her feet. We kept her with plenty of feed in front of her, switched the side she was laying on twice a day for her circulation, and kept trying to figure it out. We were hoping we could at least baby her along until the calf was far enough along to survive. Well, while I was in town picking up feed yesterday, it seems Honey tried to get up and ended up on her chest with both hind legs out behind her. She was dead when I returned. So sad.....

I decided it was a huge waste to leave all that meat laying there, at least the dogs could have fresh dogfood for several weeks. So lastnight the others milked while I bagged up a lot of beef for my LGD's. It wasn't fun doing that to Honey, but you gotta do what you gotta do. If she hadn't died by herself, we would have used the meat for ourselves. I checked out the calf and guess what, it was a perfect little heifer......

Honey has been with us for 8 years now and has never given us a hiefer to keep. Finally she was going to have a heifer and we lose them both!! Honey was the sweetest Jersey cow......she will be missed. Now I need to go haul everything that was not frozen, to the back hill. Why do these things happen??? Honey had never given us a moments worry before this.....she was the only cow I have ever owned who always smelled like flowers. The vet thinks it was a back injury, compounded by the wet and cold we were having......

thefarmerswife · #2 05/19/06, 01:24 PM

so sorry.

JeffNY · #3 05/19/06, 03:49 PM

We had a cow, her name was Athena. Came to us at 6 months of age, was going to be a show thing. Well she was around till she was about 10, she died in the barnyard on my birthday. She was also a Jersey. These things do suck, but it is all part of having cows. They will die eventually, and when they do, it isn't fun.

Atleast she had a good life..

Jeff

dezeeuwgoats · #4 05/19/06, 04:29 PM

Gosh, I have nightmares about things like this. I'm so sorry for your loss.

niki

TxCloverAngel · #5 05/19/06, 05:04 PM

oh my. I'm so sorry for your loss.

Carol K · #6 05/19/06, 05:08 PM

I feel for you, I hate the sad part of having animals, sorry for you,

Carol

JulieLou42 · #7 05/19/06, 05:16 PM

My first cow, a Brown Swiss, died a mysterious death in 1974 at less than 4 months after her 2nd calf, so she wasn't very old at all. Beautiful thing, and I cried for weeks after, because she was more like a huge family pet than anything else. Very noticeably responsive to everyone in the family, and smarter than the one I have now...shhhh, don't let her hear me say that!!! [I never said that!] This one's a sweetie and easy to manage, but tempermentally quite different.

I KNOW how sad this can be.

But, apparently, I was meant to be a cow owner/cattle owner, because the good Lord brought me a second chance at it. Somewhat later in life than most, but still very interested and mostly physically able to handle it, without help of current DH.

May the blessings of God rest upon you; may His peace abide with you; may His Spirit illuminate your heart...now and forever more.

Patt · #8 05/19/06, 05:17 PM

How heartbreaking! I'm so sorry for your double loss! It's especially hard to lose an animal when you try everything you can to save them and never know what was wrong.

Christina R. · #9 05/19/06, 07:22 PM

So sorry to hear about Honey, her lil' girl, and your broken heart. I'll be thinking of you as you walk through this loss.

susieM · #10 05/19/06, 10:43 PM

She and her baby are in cow heaven.

nehimama · #11 05/20/06, 10:39 AM

I'm so sorry about your double loss. I do know what it feels like to lose a favorite animal, and it hurts.

NeHi Mama

jnap31 · #12 05/20/06, 11:14 AM

I am sorry to hear about your loss that is terrible. I hope you can find another good cow someday

savinggrace · #13 05/20/06, 12:17 PM

So sorry for your loss. But please know she lived a very good and noble life. Sorry about the precious heifer as well.

thefarmerswife · #14 05/20/06, 12:39 PM

A couple years ago we got a bull. We took him off the trailer and he was walking out into the field when all the heifers started to chase him, he tripped and broke his leg so bad we had to put him down. We only had him for five minutes.

Understanding your double loss. I almost lost my favorite cow to milk fever but ended up losing the calf

Tango · #15 05/20/06, 01:41 PM

That is so awful

I think I know how you might be feeling. My Jersey Karma is a beloved pet who happens to provide us with milk. Stuff happens but it is hard sometimes nonetheless. Hang in there.

Valmai · #16 05/21/06, 05:33 AM

I am so sorry. I have some rather ancient pet cows here and dread the time that must come.

RLMS · #17 05/21/06, 05:42 AM

We lost a Brown Swiss yesterday during birthing. Twisted uterus, vet did a C-section. Too no avail. I buried her in her pasture.

Sorry for your loss. It never is easy.

jnap31 · #18 05/21/06, 10:03 AM

RLMS why didnt you butcher her and eat her?

RLMS · #19 05/21/06, 08:23 PM

Because we don't eat family members!

jnap31 · #20 05/22/06, 05:22 AM

I think just about only in america could someone have the means to treat cows as family members. I suppose India does it for different reasons, I juts cant see that happening in Africa or Mexico or most other countries. I understand you relunctance though I use to get so attached to my pigs my wifes brothers had to kill them and I was torn up over it..... In the case of a cow dying under those circumstances she would have been eaten in my family.