We have a small herd of 14 --- bull, heifers, steers, calves.... and loaded three youngsters off to auction today. One of these was a 4-month bully calf born in our pasture. (He's already well on starter feed and hay, and ready to be weaned.) His mama heifer, "Corona", is bawling her poor big heart out tonight, to the dismay of all the neighbors, I'm sure. And she's gonna keep us up all night.
I HATE this part of cattle raising! Separating the mamas from their babies..... they cry for days! And no wonder. Wouldn't you? We are a small place, surrounded by other small and mid-size cattle farmers, so we all go through this agony of hearing their bawling every spring and every fall when the feeders are sorted out.
Our Corona will cry for a day or two, since her baby isn't here to answer. The mamas of the other two cried for only one night, as they were older. But the neighbor to our south has a bigger operation, and he separates the youngsters into a pen for vaccinations, sorting and what-not, and the mamas ALL surround this pen until the kiddos are taken away. The BAWLING from both herds resonates up and down the hillsides for DAYS, and all NIGHT.
It's easier for me to slaughter a chicken I've raised from an egg in the incubator, than it is for me to hear Corona's cries tonight. Sigh.
I HATE this part of cattle raising! Separating the mamas from their babies..... they cry for days! And no wonder. Wouldn't you? We are a small place, surrounded by other small and mid-size cattle farmers, so we all go through this agony of hearing their bawling every spring and every fall when the feeders are sorted out.
Our Corona will cry for a day or two, since her baby isn't here to answer. The mamas of the other two cried for only one night, as they were older. But the neighbor to our south has a bigger operation, and he separates the youngsters into a pen for vaccinations, sorting and what-not, and the mamas ALL surround this pen until the kiddos are taken away. The BAWLING from both herds resonates up and down the hillsides for DAYS, and all NIGHT.
It's easier for me to slaughter a chicken I've raised from an egg in the incubator, than it is for me to hear Corona's cries tonight. Sigh.