I Love My Dog
Good morning!
I woke up this morning thinking about this, not sure why. But here goes.
At the 4-H show on Saturday, I was standing with S.W and another one of the moms. There were goats at this show and they make the weirdest sounds. Sometimes it almost sounds like a baby screaming or something. The other mom was saying she could never raise goats for slaughter because of that. I said I could never be a farmer, I couldn't raise anything for slaughter. I couldn't handle Little R being in the beef cattle club, those calves are CUTE. I'm glad she's in the dairy club. At which point S.W mentioned the first time she took me in the barn, back in the spring, and I was a little mortified that these poor cows were all tied up etc. I wanted to know WHY they weren't out in the field...grazing...like the happy California cows lol. I had to be assured that once the weather outside warmed up they would be put out in the fields. (I wanted to set them all free).
Then there is the whole thing of hitting the calves. At the shows you see kids punching and smacking their cows. Little R was told how and where to hit her calf. I was not happy about that. Little R was not happy about that. Supposedly this makes them do what you want them to do. I was not impressed. I didn't think it was right. I didn't believe it was neccesary. So I told Little R if she didn't want to hit her calf she doesn't have to and in fact I would prefer it if she doesn't. She agreed with me. Abusing animals was not something I wanted her "learning" or being comfortable doing. It just so happens I was reading that Laura Ingalls Wilder book, "The Farmer Boy" at the time too. In it was a part about exactly this. In this book, the mentality was, in order to get an animal to co-operate and do what you want, its much easier if the animal trusts you. If you hurt or scare it, it won't trust you and won't co-operate with you. Made sense to me. I mean we don't hit our dog and he is pretty well trained. So thats what I told her, just think of your calf as a dog and treat her accordingly. Talk to her and pet her etc. Guess what? It seems to have worked out fine. I don't think they would have done any better in the ring if she was smacking it around. It is acceptable practise among the 4-H crowd apparently. I'm not talking about beating the cows silly or anything, just a smack here a jab there. But, you don't boof your kid (or dog) in the face to make it co-operate, so why do it to a cow? S.W grew up on a farm and was in the 4-H Club as a child herself. She is used to it, (though I don't think she likes it either). I'm not bashing anyone here, I'm just saying, its not for me.
I have never been a big meat eater. This just boggles Hubby's mind lol. But even as a child, I just didn't like it. I think it boggled my parents minds too. I don't think it really had anything to do with the fact that meat is a dead animal. I just don't like the texture of meat and it doesn't taste all that great to me either. My life is complete without eating meat. I just don't have a taste for it. I'm not an extremist about it or anything, I DO eat it ocassionally, I LOVE cheese and eggs and most dairy products.
So yeah, I would not make a very good farmer. I'm just figuring this all out about myself, that I am very much against animal abuse and cruelty. It didn't really affect my life before the 4-H thing. I can't stand those Humane Society commercials on TV. I bawl every time I see one. In my mind animals are innocent creatures.
I love my do-og, oh yes I do-oo. LOL. He's like another kid to me. The grandchild I never had (yet). I'm just glad Little R stuck to her guns, even when being laughed at, and avoided hitting Gem. I think it also proved, that it isn't neccesary. But you should see some of these kids, usually boys, giving the cow a punch. Like JEEZ, I usually cringe, verbally, but they don't hear me, and would likely think I'm just a crazy old woman. I just don't understand how some people can just rationalize it, I can't.
And thats my thoughts this morning.
Looks like its sunny out there, yay.
Have a lovely day!
I woke up this morning thinking about this, not sure why. But here goes.
At the 4-H show on Saturday, I was standing with S.W and another one of the moms. There were goats at this show and they make the weirdest sounds. Sometimes it almost sounds like a baby screaming or something. The other mom was saying she could never raise goats for slaughter because of that. I said I could never be a farmer, I couldn't raise anything for slaughter. I couldn't handle Little R being in the beef cattle club, those calves are CUTE. I'm glad she's in the dairy club. At which point S.W mentioned the first time she took me in the barn, back in the spring, and I was a little mortified that these poor cows were all tied up etc. I wanted to know WHY they weren't out in the field...grazing...like the happy California cows lol. I had to be assured that once the weather outside warmed up they would be put out in the fields. (I wanted to set them all free).
Then there is the whole thing of hitting the calves. At the shows you see kids punching and smacking their cows. Little R was told how and where to hit her calf. I was not happy about that. Little R was not happy about that. Supposedly this makes them do what you want them to do. I was not impressed. I didn't think it was right. I didn't believe it was neccesary. So I told Little R if she didn't want to hit her calf she doesn't have to and in fact I would prefer it if she doesn't. She agreed with me. Abusing animals was not something I wanted her "learning" or being comfortable doing. It just so happens I was reading that Laura Ingalls Wilder book, "The Farmer Boy" at the time too. In it was a part about exactly this. In this book, the mentality was, in order to get an animal to co-operate and do what you want, its much easier if the animal trusts you. If you hurt or scare it, it won't trust you and won't co-operate with you. Made sense to me. I mean we don't hit our dog and he is pretty well trained. So thats what I told her, just think of your calf as a dog and treat her accordingly. Talk to her and pet her etc. Guess what? It seems to have worked out fine. I don't think they would have done any better in the ring if she was smacking it around. It is acceptable practise among the 4-H crowd apparently. I'm not talking about beating the cows silly or anything, just a smack here a jab there. But, you don't boof your kid (or dog) in the face to make it co-operate, so why do it to a cow? S.W grew up on a farm and was in the 4-H Club as a child herself. She is used to it, (though I don't think she likes it either). I'm not bashing anyone here, I'm just saying, its not for me.
I have never been a big meat eater. This just boggles Hubby's mind lol. But even as a child, I just didn't like it. I think it boggled my parents minds too. I don't think it really had anything to do with the fact that meat is a dead animal. I just don't like the texture of meat and it doesn't taste all that great to me either. My life is complete without eating meat. I just don't have a taste for it. I'm not an extremist about it or anything, I DO eat it ocassionally, I LOVE cheese and eggs and most dairy products.
So yeah, I would not make a very good farmer. I'm just figuring this all out about myself, that I am very much against animal abuse and cruelty. It didn't really affect my life before the 4-H thing. I can't stand those Humane Society commercials on TV. I bawl every time I see one. In my mind animals are innocent creatures.
I love my do-og, oh yes I do-oo. LOL. He's like another kid to me. The grandchild I never had (yet). I'm just glad Little R stuck to her guns, even when being laughed at, and avoided hitting Gem. I think it also proved, that it isn't neccesary. But you should see some of these kids, usually boys, giving the cow a punch. Like JEEZ, I usually cringe, verbally, but they don't hear me, and would likely think I'm just a crazy old woman. I just don't understand how some people can just rationalize it, I can't.
And thats my thoughts this morning.
Looks like its sunny out there, yay.
Have a lovely day!
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