25th May, 2025

 

Farewell my beautiful Annie

1st August, 2019 to 23rd May, 2025

 

Annie calved on the 4th of May, a lovely heifer calf we've named Mae. 

 

Despite being in great condition and seemingly perfect health before calving, Annie came down with milk fever and then pneumonia, and then ketosis and finally liver failure. We fought for three weeks to save her and she fought for three weeks to live, mothering her calf the whole time.

 

Finally, the blood test results came back from Launceston and the verdict of liver failure on top of everything else, and her not having eating almost anything for two weeks, made the final sad call.

 

Mae has taken to the bottle and I will look after her and be her mum for Annie. She has had a great start, and is fat and sassy. Alot of the condition Annie lost so fast went into giving Mae the best.

 

Annie was one of those cows that seek you out for love and responds with a cow hug, wrapping her neck around you as you stand beside her. She was my buddy and I will miss her so much.

 

Annie liked her food, especially apples and pears. She was a busy cow, always paying attention, but never naughty like Belle. Her glossy black hair always smelled warm and sweet and she delighted in giving a good bath with her scratchy tongue. She came to me from Robyn's dairy next door, via Aimee and was hand raised here.

 

Mae is her first heifer, she'd had three bull calves that she raised with great enjoyment. Mae will stay with me now, she is half angus and may not make a house cow, but she is family.