Bee~ Journal of then...

[Frosting]

Frosting, as a dairy farmer, I'm sure you give some very great feed to your cows. All formulated for high protein and all that scientific, agricultural stuff. I'm not that well funded. I'm a single mother with one income. I took pity on a great little cow and I've done the best I can with her. I'm not looking for perfection, nor do I care to get into "dairying". I just got a good deal on a cow, have treated her kindly, hope to make a small profit when I pass her down the line. I won't be keeping her a second year.

You would like to see a little more weight on her? She's for sale and you are welcome to come to my place and pick her up for the right price! smile Then you can put all the weight on her that you please. thumbsup

As a dairy farmer I have bills to be paid too. Milk prices suck right now so don't think I've got all this money either. I've said you've done great putting weight on her and really you don't want to do to much to fast putting weight on either. I just feel that putting a bigger demand than the one calf on her at this point is to much and gave the reasons.

Obviously, it's against what you think and therefore your not happy with my opinion. You wanted to know why people think you shouldn't be adding another calf and I told you why. Now you have the answer and instead of being thankful you are upset. It wasn't my intention to upset you, so for that I'm sorry.

 

[Farmfresh]

Take it easy now Frosting. Bee handled your answer just fine. Around these parts we all say what we feel... and then skooch our toes out of the way, cause the other person has their opinion as well!

It takes lots of folks - with lots of different opinions to make up this little community. Amazingly we seldom get snippy with each other. We are just sittin' a yackin' on the old front porch.

 

[Aidenbaby]

Frosting, I think you are out of place. This is HER journal. Arguing with someone on their journal just makes the arguer (sp) look like a jerk. I'm sure that is not the case, I'm just letting you know what it looks like from a third party perspective. Also, she should not have to be "thankful", it is her journal.

Bee IS helping the cow to gain weight. She is no longer milking (tried it, found didn't have appropriate time, stopped) and the new calf isn't nursing (refusing to nurse as was posted a few days ago). Bee had mentioned that she did indeed up the feed when more than one calf had been placed on Blossom. Blossom has SEVERAL pastures in which to feed and is rotated when the pasture is done. A starved animal should NEVER look like a normal, healthy animal after only a month as that is a sure-fire sign that the weight gained is fat and not the muscle having rebuilt itself. As you know, when a creature starves, its body will start to consume its muscle tissue and this is what Bee is trying to rebuild. Bee is taking the time to rebuild the body slowly and in a healthy manner.

Bee, I'm sorry I kept talking about you in third person in your journal. I know you can defend yourself but this was just steppping on my nerves.

 

[freemotion]

OK, OK, Frosting is new here, so let's cut her some slack. There is a place for PM's.

My advice to everyone (unsolicited, I know, but isn't most advice here unsolicited?) is if you feel stung, wait a day or two, give the other person the benefit of the doubt that you can't hear their tone of voice or see their facial expressions or body language and maybe they didn't mean to sound harsh.

In real life, if someone came into a conversation midstream and didn't know the people well and said something without all the info, there would be raised eyebrows and exchanged glances and the person would keep quiet and listen some more, until she figured out what she missed. That doesn't happen here, you can't see the eyebrows! These are the only eyebrows I could find:

OK, I'm done now. Hugs to all

 

[Aidenbaby]

True enough. I apologize for getting defensive. I just really love you, Bee, (like a friend) and all that you have done. I get a little bit of pitbull in me for people who I consider my role models/friends.

 

[freemotion]

We all need a few pitbulls in our lives!!! I can be one, too......

 

[big brown horse]

(I'm not a pitbull, more like a lab..I just want everyone to be happy!)


Beekissed,

I think you have done the most wonderful job with Blossom and Shade. (The last time a controversy arose, I was too shy (and brand new here) to chime in for one opinion or the other. Now that I feel like part of the family, I am going to have your back. I'm not even going to hide under a chair.)

With horses, there are many opinions out there to choose from on how to raise, feed and train them. You just take the ones that work for you. Why does it seem that with cows it is "their" way or the highway?

Lactation isn't that complicated is it?! We females have been at it for 1000s of years. I know I've seen mama cows nurse all the other calves in the heard, they all babysit that way.

Perhaps Blossom was still a little on the thin side (I don't know because I'm not a milk cow type person!) but Beekissed learned how to solve the issue. Trial and error style. Blossom is now just feeding Shade...it all worked out. So what is the big deal?

And btw, the reason I love this forum is because everyone gets along GREAT and we all try to support eachother in our efforts to become more SS. So thank you to all.

 

[Beekissed]

Thank you all for your support! It feels so nice.

Actually, I was a little offended by Frostings criticisms, as they sound very familiar to me.....sort of like another, previous posting on the same issue from a person who wishes me no good. It struck a cord. A suspicious one, actually.

The question about calves was a rhetorical question and did not require an answer at all. It was meant to imply that I can see no difference in my milking the cow while the calf is nursing and another calf nursing the cow while her own calf is nursing. No difference in my mind, but no one got all brody when I was milking her.

For one, I post these stories on my journal to document SS progress, not to solicit opinions. If it was an opinion piece, my journal title would say "What do you think about this?" It doesn't. I'm a grown woman and , if I can manage to raise three strapping sons, I think I can keep a cow going. No, I don't know everything and I enjoy learning about a lot of things.....but unsolicited advice from a complete stranger is not how I normally glean information. Nor is it how I give it.

I welcome friendly advice from my friends on this forum and I have learned so very much. But then, my friends don't criticize first and get offended when its not well received. If I seem a little sensitive on this subject, its because I have been harassed by someone else for the same reason. I'm tired of defending my decisions regarding this cow! Enough already, its a dead horse and doesn't require anymore beatings, if you please.

Aiden, I know how you feel and it gets the hair up on my neck if my friends on here are seemingly attacked....its a natural reaction when you care about someone. It takes guts to stand up for what you feel is an injustice and I appreciate it! Thank you!

For future reference, to all newcomers: Journals are like private property....you are welcome to visit, but be careful where you trod until you have developed a trust with the owner. Its sort of an unwritten code on these journals. That trust is developed just like any real relationship, with politeness on both sides, a mutual kindness and then, when closeness has been established...good, constructive criticisms can be offered when asked. Just like in real time.

Thank you all for being my forum friends....you are such a joy to me!

 

[big brown horse]

Actually, I was a little offended by Frostings criticisms, as they sound very familiar to me.....sort of like another, previous posting on the same issue from a person who wishes me no good. It struck a cord. A suspicious one, actually.

I felt the same.

For future reference, to all newcomers: Journals are like private property....you are welcome to visit, but be careful where you trod until you have developed a trust with the owner. Its sort of an unwritten code on these journals. That trust is developed just like any real relationship, with politeness on both sides, a mutual kindness and then, when closeness has been established...good, constructive criticisms can be offered when asked. Just like in real time.

That advice should be in a sticky, or is it already?

 

[Beekissed]

It should, but its not!