Post by Kathie on Apr 29, 2008 21:21:07 GMT -5
Well, I am with AnnB, I was really ,reallyimpressed with that dairy! On the West coast it didn't come on 'til 10 pm--or too early to watch--so I had read Stacy's post before I watched it. I told my sons it was apparently pretty ghoulish, and they may not want to watch. But they were great!! A perfect cycle with the manure providing the power for the farm, and then the fertilizer for the fields! My oldest son made a comment about didn't I wish my calf pens were so clean?
I had braced myself for the C section, and then they did it just right, 3 vets on site, a tranquilizer and local anesthetics. I was waiting for the horrors Stacy saw, and it just wasn't there. I think the first calf heifer that Mike pulled the calf on was in more pain than the one with the C section, and we have all been there--nothing you can do but wait! How wonderful that they had 24 hour midwives, and no waiting forever for a vet, like we family cow people have to go through.
The only thing I was even faintly bothered by was that I didn't think they got the udders near clean enough--but then they know the milk is going to be strained and pasturized, and we only strain ours!
I, too, always pull the calves shortly after birth, and they bond to me as Mom, and the cows to me as calf. IMO, it's actually kinder than leaving them together--this is a bond that never has to be broken--and the cow/calf bond always does, sooner or later. Ours, between me and the cow, only gets renewed on the next calving! The only calf sharing arrangement that I have ever heard of working with no let down problems, is Claire and Isabelle--I think that's because Isabelle loves Claire so much that she is willing to give her milk to Claire even ahead of her calf! And even Claire has found that the only way she can wean is to sell or butcher!!
Although I would never want to have anything near as big as that dairy, think how wonderful it would be to have an expert on hand to tell you what semen would be best on which cow, and an AI tech there to do it at exactly the right time!
I have seen true "factory" dairy farms--worse, I have smelled them--the ones where it really is about the bottom line, and this isn't one of them. I just wish I could be as efficient. The only things those cows didn't have was love from their farmer, and as much as we all like to think our cows love us the ways our dogs do, do they?
I taped this for DH to watch this weekend, and after that, if any of you missed it, I will happily lend it to you if you pay the postage.
Kathie
!
I had braced myself for the C section, and then they did it just right, 3 vets on site, a tranquilizer and local anesthetics. I was waiting for the horrors Stacy saw, and it just wasn't there. I think the first calf heifer that Mike pulled the calf on was in more pain than the one with the C section, and we have all been there--nothing you can do but wait! How wonderful that they had 24 hour midwives, and no waiting forever for a vet, like we family cow people have to go through.
The only thing I was even faintly bothered by was that I didn't think they got the udders near clean enough--but then they know the milk is going to be strained and pasturized, and we only strain ours!
I, too, always pull the calves shortly after birth, and they bond to me as Mom, and the cows to me as calf. IMO, it's actually kinder than leaving them together--this is a bond that never has to be broken--and the cow/calf bond always does, sooner or later. Ours, between me and the cow, only gets renewed on the next calving! The only calf sharing arrangement that I have ever heard of working with no let down problems, is Claire and Isabelle--I think that's because Isabelle loves Claire so much that she is willing to give her milk to Claire even ahead of her calf! And even Claire has found that the only way she can wean is to sell or butcher!!
Although I would never want to have anything near as big as that dairy, think how wonderful it would be to have an expert on hand to tell you what semen would be best on which cow, and an AI tech there to do it at exactly the right time!
I have seen true "factory" dairy farms--worse, I have smelled them--the ones where it really is about the bottom line, and this isn't one of them. I just wish I could be as efficient. The only things those cows didn't have was love from their farmer, and as much as we all like to think our cows love us the ways our dogs do, do they?
I taped this for DH to watch this weekend, and after that, if any of you missed it, I will happily lend it to you if you pay the postage.
Kathie
!