05/08/2021
Post #21
"Remember me? I am Rosie. I am between 15 and 17 years old - no one is really sure. This video was taken of me the day I arrived at Shadowhaven Farm Sanctuary in November 2020. I came from a hobby farm where, every year, they would try to make me pregnant, like all milk cows. It didn't always work. But when I did have a baby I always got really sick. They called it milk fever - what ever it was it would make me too weak to get up. They had to have the doctor come and give me a needle. And, by the time I felt better, my baby was gone and the farmers took my milk. Every year this happened and I was always so sad, but I tried to be nice, even when their children were learning to milk me, I was gentle with them. One year I had a girl calf and she stayed on the farm. I didn't get to raise her, but I could talk to her over the fence. Last year they decided that was it. When I didn't get pregnant they contacted some sanctuaries and told them I would be killed in a couple of weeks if no one took me. Shadowhaven Farm Sanctuary gave me a home. I was the first cow here. I cried and cried for my calves every day from the sunrise until dark. I thought my heart would break. But then, Little Macc arrived, followed by Barak a few sunrises later (their stories are in earlier posts on Little Macc and Barak). And, I love them. Macc was here first so, he is like my son. I even started making milk for him. When Barak arrived, I would let him nurse too. The HuMom here gave them bottles because I didn't really have enough milk to raise a calf, but it made us all feel like a family when they nursed me. After they were big boys, it must have been 6 times of the round moon, I stopped them from nursing anymore. It was time. And, besides - I had a secret..."
