kdolu I tell you what, there is nothing better than a big, juicy cheeseburger. Well, except maybe a big, juicy steak…
Lucky for me, my freezer is filled with ground beef, steaks and roasts and I didn’t even have to go to the grocery store!
Whaaaaaat?!
A few months ago we discovered we had a heifer that could not get pregnant. We had tried artificial insemination a few times and even had the veterinarian check her out.
It wasn’t looking good.
If a heifer can’t get pregnant, she cannot produce milk. Feeding and housing an animal that cannot produce milk is not a great idea when you are in the business of making milk.
As much as we love, care for and respect our animals, we cannot afford to keep them if they do not make milk. It’s the way it goes.
The good news is that the dairy heifer is not waste. She can still provide for families. No, it may not be in the form of milk or cheese, but dairy cattle make beef too!
Normally when we have a heifer that can’t get pregnant or a cow that is producing little to no milk, we sell them. But, our freezer was looking a little empty and this girl needed to get her beef fix.
So we had the heifer butchered and now our chest freezer is packed full of meat for our family and employees!
Now, some of you might be thinking, “Farm Chick, you say you love your cows, how can you eat them?”.
Here is the deal, its part of the gig. I grew up on the farm. At an early age I learned about life, death and the circle of life.
You better believe that I love my cows and treat them the best I can each and every day. But, you must also understand that I know these cows are not pets. They are livestock. They do not sleep at the end of my bed and they are not potty trained. They are unpredictable animals.
I believe everything on this planet has a purpose. I believe that the dairy cow was put on this earth to be cared for by man/woman and to produce milk and meat in order to provide nutrition for man/woman.
You may not agree. And guess what, that’s okay.
For me, it is just another reason to love dairy farming. It is pretty cool that what I do every day and what I work so hard for helps provide my family AND yours with not only delicious dairy products, but beef too!
In fact, did you know that the dairy industry contributes 20% to the nation’s beef supply?
ALL HAIL THE DAIRY COW FOR KEEPING OUR BELLIES FULL!
