Sunday November 1, 2009, 1:51 pm
Then we found one of our best cows lying by the water trough. She looked peaceful, her legs folded beneath her and her head on the ground, as though she'd simply taken a drink and laid down to rest. But she wasn't sleeping; she was dead. She'd been struggling with an illness for several weeks and we had been desperately attempting to heal her. Her name was Eve and she will be deeply missed.

Eve's mother is Nicolette's favorite cow, a longtime resident of the ranch we call Girlfriend, a black cow with a white face and black band across her eyes. When Girlfriend was eight years old our vet told us that she was not pregnant that season. Cows have only one calf each year, so a ranch cannot afford to keep infertile cows. Normally, when an older cow comes up "open," she is sent to town. But because Girlfriend is such a gentle and beautiful animal, Nicolette had a special appreciation for her and pleaded the case for clemency. This happened again the following year and, for the second time, she was granted a reprieve. By this point, our ranching peers were saying that this cow would definitely never give birth to another calf.

But miracles have a way of happening on the farm. After two years of barrenness--and having reached the ripe age of ten--our vet announced that Girlfriend was pregnant. We were jubilant. A few months later she gave birth to a handsome red calf with a white patterned face. Like her previous calf, it was a male. That disappointed us a bit because we figured it would surely be Girlfriend's last calf, with no cattle on the ranch to carry forward her noble lineage. ..... more

Monday November 2, 2009, 10:29 am
Thank you Cowboss. This, unfortunately, is the reality of raising livestock etihcally. No matter how hard you try to distance yourself emotionally from your animals, it is inevitable that you will find out when tragedies like this happen that you didn't succeed. I can identify 100% with this story.

Monday November 2, 2009, 1:09 pm
Thanks Cowboss...

While I was raised in San Diego, California...both of my parents were from Iowa...

My mother's side of the family had a farm and when I would go out there were Pigs, Chickens, and Cows...also, my mother's father, my grandpa had lost most of his fingers in the machines while he was working.

So I can relate to this sad, sad story, makes me cry to read it.

When my Granfather passed away suddendly due to an unfortunate accident, my Grandmother moved into town in Spirit Lake, Iowa, but still rented out the farm...loved that farm so many precious memories there, sadly when it went up for sale none of the relatives wanted it except for my mother and at that time I was going thought my divorce...so didn't have $$$ to give her to purchase that piece of property. To this day I do regret not taking out a loan and just getting it.

My grandfather was one of those special farmers that only did right by his animals and reading this story brought back a TON of memories and also fond memories of when I was Oh so Young!

Gotta say one thing on this story to make me smile bit thought, I will never forget when my Grandpa came out to find me running off the fat from all of his Hogs (I was 5 and took a corn cob and ran back and forth from the front of the fence)...he never yelled at me, but said that I shouldn't do that, never understood at that time what happened to all of these animals, but frankly, from this article, I would be right there with the special cow and sobbing, get way to attached...think that is why my Dad didn't want me to have any type of ownership in a farm!!!

Great story, sad, but actually it does happen, and once you get involved with animals, it is hard for me to distance myself from them...hate that they are raised for one think...UGH!!!

Monday November 2, 2009, 3:47 pm
Thank you so much for sharing this story-and your personal story. Noted.

Tuesday November 3, 2009, 3:32 am
thanks cowboss for sharing your story

Tuesday November 3, 2009, 10:28 am
One of the not so joys of living in the country!

Tuesday November 3, 2009, 12:50 pm
Thank you Cowboss for sharing this story. I can relate some too. I have become deeply attached to all my chickens. I keep them as pets but they really do not live long enough. The winters are very hard on them if they have any weakness going into the winter that is usually when they pass. I cry for everyone!!

Wednesday November 4, 2009, 4:25 pm
I would very carefully suggest that I see a different point to the story. They only feel the pain and loss because they were willing to reach out, to open their hearts, and to feel love. All life is tenuous and short, some lives much shorter than others. But the cycle of life is relentless; we all are born and we all will die. Farmers are very familiar with the life cycle, as are pet owners (those of us owned by pets) because humans often outlive other animals. It's the joy of the relationship shared that is worthy of us, and which surpasses the pain of the loss.
PLUS, as shown by the story, there may again be another calf and the next one, if she comes, might be a girl! Patience is a great virtue, after all.

Wednesday November 4, 2009, 6:54 pm
JennyLynn

Thank you, for the "well thought out" words, and thanx for being Genuine!

I have often said, and wrote -- I am sure it is here on care2 somewhere that "What is important is NOT the length of the life lived BUT the Quality of life for the Entire Time Lived". I feel that this applies equally to all living things, including humans!

cheers

cowboss http://cowbossatwscc.blogspot.com/

Friday November 13, 2009, 1:47 pm
I would have like to have known Eve and Girlfriend, and felt sad to read of Eve's death.