Saying Goodbye to Olive
We would like to take a moment to honor Olive, a dairy cow who recently had to be euthanized.
At 12 years old, she was the oldest cow in our dairy program and was still serving on the milking line. She had 6 babies, three of whom became milkers. She also has 6 grand-babies with more to come.
She was known as a sweet troublemaker, often using her horn nub to let herself out of her feeding spot so she could help herself to other cows' grain treats that give the cows after they have milked each day. This creates a treat for them to look forward to and also supports their nutritional needs.
Last week she presented with what we believe was a dislocated hip and the decision was made to euthanize her. A local mobile butcher was able to come directly to the farm so she didn't need to be transported. Now she will be a source of nourishment for our "farmily."
We keep the animals in our herds, either actively milking or in the nurse herd, as long as they are happy, healthy and comfortable.
The nurse herd is an important part of our dairy program. It has retired milk cows and maturing young cows. The retirees who are still lactating become the nutrition source for dairy calves who are removed from the milking cows. As a practice, we keep our calves with the mamas for as long as we can, even while they are being milked. We decide to remove them to the nurse herd when the calf is old enough to be difficult to handle.
Because we spend a lot of time with our dairy cows, Olive will be missed. We give them names so we can track and communicate with each other about them, and we all get to know one another pretty well over the years. We thank Olive for her time with us.
