Death

Death on the farm is a constant. It’s a bit like a bad mother in-law, when they are not around you forget then you see them driving down the road and you go, “oh no not her again”. While I much more enjoy the life like I’m sure everyone else does it’s important to recognize with farming you’re more likely to see death than a lot of others. Some times you have to meter it out yourself and you choose whom and when gets to go like that rooster that has become vicious or the steer that has grown the size best for eating. Then there is the death that comes unexpectedly, a good dog is killed or your best cow dies giving birth.



Last night it was my little heifer Jetsetter. Her first calf was a big one and it was coming in breach position. By the time I found her and called the vet the calf had been long dead inside her and had swollen. To make matters worst the calf had gone to the toilet in death so she was in a bad way. Two hours work from the vet, an epidural, liters of lubricant, chains, hands up uterus to the shoulder and it was obvious the calf wasn’t coming out any other way but by cesarean.  While it can quite successfully be done my poor little heifer was struggling. Her chances of survival were low so I hade the decision to put her to sleep. 

To loose the calf was bad but to loose a good cow and 13 or 14 years of breeding is devastating.


Death – it's cruel, next time I see her coming down the road I'll try hiding.

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