Cows are sweet. When they're young they'll suck on your fingers (like udders). Big, lumbering, sweet ol' things.
This from someone who spent her young summer days on my neighbor's farm but didn't live or do chores there. If I had, I might see them as livestock and not as pets.
I think part of FFA and 4H must be the coming to terms with the reason people farm livestock, and feeling good about achieving a sale eventually. But I know a lot of the pros take a real interest in the animal's quality of life, and give them names, etc. I've been learning that more since moving to Mendocino county. Never have had a calf suck on my finger though!
Many years back I participated in a cattle drive (my childhood best friend owns a horse training ranch in Bishop) Anyhow, from dawn to dark, we drove several breeds of cattle through the Owens valley through petraglyphs and up to high country.
It's weird but one of the babies ( a Charolais) just stopped. The mother stayed with her for awhile but then left her to continue on up with us. Ellen and I went out the next day to find the calf (which was dead) as we expected. What we didn't expect was to find the mother had left the herd during the night and made her way back to her baby.
6 comments:
Cows are sweet. When they're young they'll suck on your fingers (like udders). Big, lumbering, sweet ol' things.
This from someone who spent her young summer days on my neighbor's farm but didn't live or do chores there. If I had, I might see them as livestock and not as pets.
I think part of FFA and 4H must be the coming to terms with the reason people farm livestock, and feeling good about achieving a sale eventually. But I know a lot of the pros take a real interest in the animal's quality of life, and give them names, etc. I've been learning that more since moving to Mendocino county. Never have had a calf suck on my finger though!
Many years back I participated in a cattle drive (my childhood best friend owns a horse training ranch in Bishop) Anyhow, from dawn to dark, we drove several breeds of cattle through the Owens valley through petraglyphs and up to high country.
It's weird but one of the babies ( a Charolais) just stopped. The mother stayed with her for awhile but then left her to continue on up with us. Ellen and I went out the next day to find the calf (which was dead) as we expected. What we didn't expect was to find the mother had left the herd during the night and made her way back to her baby.
Isn't that a sad story.
That is a sad story, PA. That's a harsh landscape out there, for man and beast.
did you add that last photo to this post? I really like it
Thanks PA. It's one of my favorites. Sunlight patch sort of echoes the shape of her profile.
It was always there.
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