Why Farming Is In A Depression

S

Songsheet

At the Start
Joined
May 2, 2003
Messages
3,217
Location
Somerset
You've got to wonder at this goverment's (and the previous one's) attitude to making life as difficult as possible for farmers - and expensive too.

This morning is something of a sad one, as we've had to euthanase our Limousin bull (aka 'Spot'). Obviously, these animals don't go into the food chain - human or otherwise - these days, so you would think it's a simple case of ring up the on-farm slaughterer, getting the job done and the carcase moved off to the incinerator.

But no - you actually have to get a Vet out to sign a form to say the f*cking animal is fit for slaughter...... Uh?? Guess who has to pay for that??

He's being put down because we've reached the point of no return with the bull's feet - no matter what we've tried, we've been unable to keep him sound. He's sired some lovely calves but on Friday went lame on two feet, so the writing was on the wall - he's in pain and he isn't going to get better.

The vet will breeze into the yard, glance over into the pen, sign his name at the bottom of the green form and bugger off - may take as long as two minutes.

Unbelievebull..............
 
It's like those cremation forms doctor's sign. A quick swatch at the patient's notes, a signature and that will be £x thank you very much you grieving sod.
 
Oh, poor old Spot, Jules. I remember he had one poorly foot when I last visited, so two bad tootsies would definitely be no good at all for the poor boy. Do the other cows actually seem to notice that he's gone? Is there a sense that 'someone's missing', or are they not much like dogs and cats?
 
Commiserations Songsheet, do you regard him as a pet and will he be missed in the same way that a family would miss a dog?........ sorry if this appears crass but my understanding is that farming folk deliberately don't get too close to the animals.

Colin
 
The only thing I was ever taught was were you have livestock you get deadstock.
Which never helped me.
 
I suppose you get a bit fond of animals that do well for you Colin - which does sound very unfeeling, I expect. Spot did a very good job for us and only once got a bit leery - he chased Phil into a hedge!! He was a magnificent looking beast - as is his temporary successor over here, Ashley the Hereford bull.

There are certainly cows in the dairy herd that Phil and his family would never sell - Trendy is the pet Friesian of his 9yo daughter, Pip, and she even rides her! Trendy was Pip's special pet as a calf and even tho' the cow spends all her life with the rest of the dairyherd, Pip can call her up and climb aboard - it's really funny to watch! She's made another pet of a shorthorn cross heifer calf now called Sparkle and that's another one I doubt will ever leave!!

I of course have the lovely Blue cow, who will never be sold, and the new pedigree Belgian Blues and calves are getting to be everybody's 'pets'! But in general, the rest are commercial animals and it would be mind boggling to get fond of all of them!


Tetley - my old boss used to say the same to me and it's so bloody true!
 
Julie said it at Royal Ascot last year !

How is Blue Cow Toots ? Fully recovered ?
 
Back
Top