Maddy & me

willow_girl · #1 02/13/13, 09:56 AM

In December, Numb and I went to visit the cow I helped to rescue last year. She's living at the International Society for Cow Protection (ISCOWP) farm in Moundsville, WV last year.

ISCOWP is a Krishna sanctuary for cows, which are sacred to their faith. All of their animals are wonderfully cared for, and Maddy has a great home there!

Chayadevi took this picture of us together:
Maddy & me - Cattle

Their website is http://iscowp.org/ in case anyone is interested in learning more or helping to support the cause!

Bret · #2 02/13/13, 10:11 AM

Glad that all are happy. Is this a pirated post?

**gone-a-milkin** · #3 02/13/13, 10:31 AM

You are helping cattle find religion now?

Beautiful pic.
Thanks for sharing.

CJBegins · #4 02/13/13, 07:58 PM

The cow and her rescuer are both beautiful!

Judy in IN · #5 02/13/13, 09:25 PM

I'm so glad she didn't have to go through a dairy auction. That is a very disheartening place.

That's why I want my girls to become family cows.

willow_girl · #6 02/13/13, 10:01 PM

Thanks for the kind words.

Judy, she would have been sold for slaughter ... she didn't breed back in her last lactation.

She gave over 93,000 lbs. of milk.

**gone-a-milkin** · #7 02/13/13, 10:19 PM

You are a true Gopi girl.

springvalley · #8 02/13/13, 11:39 PM

I admire people with a cause, and it is great some grand old cows get to live out their lives and be cared for very well to the end. BUT, I am also a realist, I can`t afford to save all my cows, but it would be great to do that. I have a VERY hard time sending cows to butcher, but I do have to do it from time to time. I had to send one a month ago, she was getting some age on her and was not bred back, so her card was drawn to go. I lost sleep over that ole cow, I realy liked her, and she was a good ole girl. But as I said I am also a realist, something has to be done with them, and that is their intended purpose. I generally take them to my local butcher and have them ground into hamburger on the most part. So they are hauled a short distance (12miles) to the butcher and withen a half hour of waiting on a bad day, they are dispatched quikly and painlessly. I have an agreement with the butcher, I bring in cows last so they don`t have to stand around and wait for hours to be put down. I have a very hard time doing this, and the older I get the worse it gets. But I figure I have given them a good life and they have a very bad moment on the last day. I have no idea how an abortion doctor or nurse can go home at night and sleep, when I have a hard time taking old cows in. Anyway, thanks for letting me ramble on. > Thanks and Blessings > Marc

**gone-a-milkin** · #9 02/13/13, 11:49 PM

Gosh Marc,
I just helped my Farmer Boss come up with 8 cows to ship this last week.
Yes, they will end their lifespan, but honestly I am not going to miss them.
You know what I mean, they are just not productive any more.

There are new heifers freshening to take their place and it is all the big Circle of Life.

Even in India where they treasure their bovines as part of the religion; culling happens.

Not all of us can do like willow girl. It would be highly impractical.
But I admire her for her successes and live a little bit vicariously through her efforts.

SueMc · #10 02/14/13, 05:01 AM

I'm already agonizing over the fate of our cute bull calf born here. You know the type, really cute, all the grandkid's friends come over to see him. They and we all know his destiny. I know he won't be so cute and fun in a couple of years but at least I'll know he'll have a good life before he goes. I would have a terrible time dealing with a big bunch of bull calves every year if I were running a real dairy.
Maddy is a lucky girl!

willow_girl · #11 02/14/13, 07:36 AM

Quote:

So they are hauled a short distance (12miles) to the butcher and withen a half hour of waiting on a bad day, they are dispatched quikly and painlessly.

That is much better than going through the stress of the sale barn, and then being shipped long-distance to a slaughterhouse, and then ,,,,,,.

I hate to think what happens to the girls who are shipped. I can't save them all, though. I don't have enough land or money. I was sooooo grateful my Krishna friends took in Maddy!

I have never regretted adopting a cow, but I deeply regret the ones I couldn't ... RIP Smiley, Mamie Lee, Dovey, Dilly, Pearl ...

I try not to pick too many favorites in the herd I milk, and then to stick with winners. My special girl right now is also our top producer, having made 140# on yesterday's test, so I think she's safe for awhile ... providing she breeds back!!!

Bret · #12 02/14/13, 08:50 AM

I learned practiced AI a couple times over a few evenings following AI Class Time, on sale barn cows. I wanted to learn and made good use of the time, but I did not feel good about it. For the time that cows are in my beef herd, they are pretty spoiled.

willow_girl · #13 02/14/13, 09:33 AM

Quote:

I learned practiced AI a couple times over a few evenings following AI Class Time, on sale barn cows. I wanted to learn and made good use of the time, but I did not feel good about it.

That bothered me, too.

Laura Workman · #14 02/18/13, 02:20 AM

I'm curious why it bothered you to do AI on cows? Is AI bad?

willow_girl · #15 02/18/13, 06:35 AM

Not AI itself, but in training, you practice on sale barn cows who aren't necessarily in heat, and it's uncomfortable for them, besides already being in a frightening situation.

Laura Workman · #16 02/18/13, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willow_girl

Not AI itself, but in training, you practice on sale barn cows who aren't necessarily in heat, and it's uncomfortable for them, besides already being in a frightening situation.

Ah, I see. That makes sense. I can see how that would feel wrong. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I have just one cow, so I use AI and was worried that there was some reason I shouldn't.