This field this morning was the setting for a sad moment.
This morning my husband and I shared a moment that was bittersweet. Our neighbor farmer about three miles away is a beautiful dairy farm. They have those friendly types of cows. You will go by and see the baby calves in their yard by the house. Occasionally on the way by, a cow or two or more will be in the road, having sneaked through the fence.
Some of the girls at the farm down the road.
This morning as we drove past my husband noticed the rendering truck out in the field behind the barn. If you are not up on farming, the rendering company is usually called when a large livestock animal such as a cow, a bull or a horse dies, and their body needs to be disposed of. Being such a large animal, for some people the only option is to call a rendering company. You have to pay them, but they will load your dead animal and take it away.
That is what was happening at this farm this morning. Apparently, the cow died in the field and the truck had to be pulled by the tractor out to it. Then back out because the field was muddy and wet from all the rain we have been getting. The sad thing to see was the whole herd of cows were running......yes, running, which I don't often see the older cows doing. They were running after the truck, apparently because they lost one of their own. It was a sad moment for my husband and me.
Georgie Girl leading the way for supper!
It makes me think of the day that one of our mares will pass away, and how the others will react, as they are very attached to each other. I mean they hardly ever see another horse since they moved out here. In a herd of horses, probably cows too, but I can't say as I don't have experience with them, but in the horse herd, they will gang up on one horse. It will make you mad, but there is nothing you can do about it. The "Boss Mare" will never be ganged up on. She will side with one of the others from time to time. I wonder if cows do that too? Anyway no matter how much they pick on each other or take food from each other, they show affection to each other too. They go wacko if you take one of them out of the paddock to ride or do something with. No matter what, they do not want to be separated and when they are, they come unglued (at least my three little girls do!).
Tawny would give you a hug if you came to visit!
Seeing the cows running after that rendering truck is something I will never forget. I wish I had brought my camera with me this morning. But it is a picture that is embedded in my mind forever. This farm is a very peaceful farm and the cows are well taken care of there. I figure she must have died of old age or something. I have heard people say animals do not have feelings, but I know different. What about you? Do you think they feel things like we do?
Copyright © 2010 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2010 Kathleen G. Lupole
7 comments:
I know for certain that animals have feelings too, just look into a dog's eyes and you know it's true. Look at a caged animal and you feel their pain. I just wish more humans would understand and respect that.
I truly believe that animals have feelings. Maybe not the way we experiece them but they do in their own animal species way. You had your proof today. Hugs to you, can feel why you wont forget this moment soon.
I know that animals can feel love, fear, anger, etc. I don't know how anyone could think any different.
So sorry to hear about the death of the cow. That makes me sad. All of our cats are family members, I know some peope think that is strange, but they are and always will be family to us.
Tawny is just beautiful. I had to have my little girl come look. She's just beautiful!
We are animals too and we have feelings of joy, sadness and anger, so why would other animals be different? This was a sad story.
I once saw a farming family killing kittens in front of the mother cat by throwing them on the ground.. hard. I was disgusted and distraught for the kittens and for the mother cat. But this had always been this families way of doing it.
That is a sad, yet very touching story. I grew up on a small farm and have witnessed many times the surprisingly "human" side of animals.
Only people who do not have contact with animals label them "dumb". As we all know, they have different levels of intelligence but they can wrap people around their "little fingers" in no time at all.
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