We've been on our new farm about three weeks now. This past week, the frost free pump froze solid, the tractor broke, we got a skunk in the milk room, and the roof tore off one of the barns. Chalk it all up to the stuff that happens when you take over a farm that's been neglected for years. We were handling it all as it came. Then, yesterday, the tenants' dogs, led by a big male pit bull, attacked our Jersey. I've never seen a living animal look worse than she does right now. They tore both her ears right off, leaving gory, messed up stumps, punctured her eye and nose, lacerated her haunches, legs, and her udder. Just looking at her right now makes me cry. She's the sweetest cow in the world. She stood for hand milking last night after all this without a kick. The vet says she'll most likely be fine, she just won't win any beauty contests without ears. The tenants felt terrible and shot all three of their dogs, even though we told them we didn't want them put down, just put off the farm. They said they felt like they couldn't trust the dogs anymore, after seeing our poor cow, and didn't want to foist the responsibility off on someone else. The pit bull's owner really loved him, and I could see how hard it was for him. They're good neighbors, despite this mess. All the dogs had been raised around cows, and there wasn't any reason not to trust them, except that he's a pit bull. I never say this sort of thing about a breed, since I believe every individual dog is different, but the damage a pit bull can do in a matter of minutes is so scary, I won't ever let one around my livestock or my family again. Just needed to share this with you all, as we're feeling pretty down about all of it.
-Kristin
-Kristin