Mourning the loss of a special cow...

Orange Patch Maxie Discovery #604

November 7, 2004-February 18, 2010

Discovery passed away on February 18, 2010, after a hard fought battle against an infection, but ultimately suffered heart failure. Discovery was born at Orange Patch Dairy on November 7th, 2004. She earned her namesake after birth, when she ran away from her mother to the newly constructed barn on Orange Patch Dairy-making her the 1st animal to spend a night in there. Discovery was found the morning after her birth (my birthday). Discovery lived a full life. She enjoyed eating, like no other. She spent her days relaxing with friends (the herd) and her owners (us) and producing a wholesome nutritious product for growing children and moms. She also spent countless hours teaching preschoolers about milk production and dairy farming. Discovery is survived by her mother #332; 3 daughters: Dimples, Dominique, & Dasher; 1 son; 2 granddaughters: Danica & Diva; 1 grandson; 2 sisters: Flurries & Slipknot; and 1 niece: Snow Flakes. Discovery will be remembered for her bright eyes, calm personality, and her morning greetings-where she had to have her head scratched. Discovery's friends will remember her leadership to the parlor and her kindness to others. Rest in Peace Discovery-you will NOT be forgotten, and you will ALWAYS be loved.

Today was a difficult and sad day at Orange Patch Dairy. We lost a very special cow, one that will never be forgotten, therefore I thought I would blog about her. She was the first cow to greet me each morning, when I brought cows into the barn. She was always looking for a good head scratching, and we always gave in. Discovery also served as an ambassador for our farm on our annual preschool visits. She loved the extra attention the kids gave her in the parlor. Her bright eyes never dimmed, until she passed away. That made it all the more difficult to say good bye. We do our BEST every day to keep our cows healthy, but sometimes, in rare events, the environment wins. No matter how hard we work to treat and care for a sick cow, sometimes its just their time to go to "Cow Heaven". I prayed all week for a quick recovery, but Discovery was not able to pull through. Today I cried for a good 20 minutes after she passed and teared up as I erased her name from our roster....I still feel so sad about her leaving us. I look forward to the futures that her daughters and granddaughters will have in our herd...and hope that we can continue to IMPROVE our farming practices to even further reduce the number of days like today. I just hate watching cows suffer illnesses.

Rest in Peace Discovery, I will miss you every morning I go to bring in cows :(

Update on Yevette...

Yevette has taken a turn for the worse. Often with preemies such as herself, certain body systems are not ready to take on the role of functioning body parts. Yevette has been struggling to pass manure, which tells us that she may not have a fully functioning digestive tract yet. Not being able to "poop" makes her uncomfortable, unthrifty, and tired. Most of today Yevette rested, waiting for bowel movement. This evening she was able to pass some manure, and even showed interest in drinking more milk. We hope that this is a good sign. She is just so small and fragile. As a little blessing, like all of our calves we hope she can pull through. She has been given some medication for any pain she may be feeling, as well as a slight laxative. We also administered an antibiotic in case she has an infection. Preemies often have compromised immune systems and since Yevette is running a slight temperature we thought we would be safe. When we pass through the calf barn, Yevette still lifts up her head and sees who is coming by. We stop and pet her, she yawns and drifts back to sleep. She did a lot of resting today. Please pray for our little blessing...I know we are.