Post by wyomama on Feb 1, 2012 12:37:46 GMT -5
Domino is old. REALLY old. She's most likely 18, she might only be 16. She's in really good condition. She has no trouble getting around. She must still have all or most of her molars, because she's doing fine on just hay right now.
Domino is pregnant. I really didn't think she would settle, as she didn't for almost a year. She's probably due mid March. Four of the last 5 calves that Domino has had have been breech, and have had to be pulled. The local cow vet has some personal issues going on, and is pretty much out of pocket for any emergency calls. I've got a couple of experienced neighbors that hopefully will be around and will agree to be my backup if I need it, but yeah, I'm really nervous about it.
Anyway. I go around and around sometimes about whether I'm doing the "right thing" for her. She's alert and perky and bosses most everyone else around. There's nothing about her that says "Mom, I'm done being a milk cow now" except for her age, and the history of difficult calvings. She's not arthritic at all, she's not thin or poor or depressed or....
If I were a good farmer, all the breech calves would probably be enough of a reason to put her in the freezer, right? But we've saved a couple, and even with the ones we've lost, she's had good productive lactations, with no other problems. And... she keeps breeding back. She won't for a good long while, and I'll think, okay, I guess she's finally too old or too damaged to settle, and then right about then, she does.
Anyway. What do I do? Just try to forget that she's older than dirt and carry on? Or is there something else that is more responsible or more humane?