Our Little Blind Calf died last week.
She had been doing very well for a while, but we knew she was still sick. The vet told us that calves in her condition aren't likely to make it to maturity. In the past week of her life she'd stopped eating as much and had another flare up of diarrhea. We had started her on another round of probiotics, electrolytes and scour medication in an attempt to help. However, this wasn't enough.
Farmer John found her laying against a hay bale on Thursday night. He said it looked like she just went to sleep. He came back up to the house to tell me and we hugged each other and cried a bit.
We have much to be thankful for with the life of the blind calf. We learned a lot because of her. In the beginning it was how to deal with a calf in the house and bottle feeding. Our learning curve contiued when the vet told us what caused her blindness and Farmer John had to give penicillin injections. Finally, we learned the depth of our attachment to her.
In truth, she'd become more of a pet than livestock. We are proud of the quality of life we gave her and grateful we did not have to make the decision of how to end it. We'll miss our sweet little "shaggy coo girl" meandering and grazing in the yard.
As always, a heartfelt sentiment beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteLBC was lucky she had you...as you were to have her. Your care for the land and for the creatures with whom we share it gives me hope for the future.
Okay Mollie I told you I would start commenting on your blog and then you post this heavy story....Here's the deal, we never know how or when life will throw us something that will change the way we look at things.Shaggy coo girl had a message, are we wise enough to learn from her?
ReplyDeleteFrom years of experience, these things will happen and leave you full and rich with memories. Wayne has his story of carrying a calf with a nervous mother down the "cow lane" through knee deep mud ... and then there was Bambi, the deer and Coony Roo, the coon Shari raised. The list goes on and that is what makes this precious - it's a channel to the past and an avenue to the future - these points in farming and it's just further "scenes" of life on the Brae Bank Farm. Thanks for sharing Mollie. Your words are beautiful! Your heart even more so.
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