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AIBU?

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Original poster

Can anyone shed light on these noisy cows.

97 replies

ShitPoetryClub · 19/07/2021 14:53

For the last 28yrs I've lived next to a dairy farm but the last week has been extraordinary. The cows are just so noisy. All 80ish of them mooing their heads off from dawn to dusk but worse mid afternoon.
The noise doesn't bother me, just concerned what's up with them? Do you think it's the heat?

OP posts:
DrNo007 · 19/07/2021 14:54

Calves been taken away?

ZeroFuchsGiven · 19/07/2021 14:55

@DrNo007

Calves been taken away?
This!
thenightsky · 19/07/2021 14:55

The sheep are going nuts behind us too, but its because their off-spring were removed the night before last.

StarlingsDarlings · 19/07/2021 14:56

Yep. This is the brutal reality of dairy production.

inmylifeIlovedthemall · 19/07/2021 14:57

Watching with interest.

We walked a valley that we regularly walk last week and have never heard the cows so noisy.

We detoured to check that there was nothing obvious wrong (e.g a cow or calf caught in the river). I wouldn’t have risked going in the field but had a good vantage point and would have alerted the farmer if necessary.

They were still bellowing two hours later as we left the valkey.

Hellocatshome · 19/07/2021 15:01

Agree its lts probably the calves being removed.

ohthatbloodycat · 19/07/2021 15:02

Their calves will have been taken away Sad
A couple of years ago, we hired a lodge on a farm, for a family staycation. The setting was idyllic and we spent a fair bit of time in the hot tub outside.
One memory that will always stay with me, and not in a good way. The female cow and her calf being separated, somehow breaking out and briefly being together again, before being separated by the farmer or his son. I know that's the reality of the situation, but witnessing it firsthand was upsetting.

covidcathy · 19/07/2021 15:02

Oh god Sad can someone explain more. Why have their calves been removed?

TakeMeToYourLiar · 19/07/2021 15:03

@covidcathy

Oh god Sad can someone explain more. Why have their calves been removed?
For the milk
warmandtoasty2day · 19/07/2021 15:03

Would any mother be happy if her baby was snatched away ?

ohthatbloodycat · 19/07/2021 15:03

So that their milk can be given to humans instead of their own baby.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 19/07/2021 15:04

@covidcathy

Oh god Sad can someone explain more. Why have their calves been removed?
How do You think we get milk? If the calves were drinking it there wouldn't be any 'spare' so to speak. The calves are removed yet the cow still produces milk.
ohthatbloodycat · 19/07/2021 15:04

@warmandtoasty2day

Would any mother be happy if her baby was snatched away ?
Of course not Sad It's brutal.
sylbunny · 19/07/2021 15:04

I agree, it's the calves being taken away. A local farmer confirmed the same on Facebook last week for a herd near me

Hellocatshome · 19/07/2021 15:04

@covidcathy so humans can drink the milk meant for the calves.

maddening · 19/07/2021 15:05

Yes, removal of calves Once milk comes in, it is heartbreaking. I am veggie and regularly look at going vegan for this reason. I have cut out quite a large proportion but not there yet.

Original poster
ShitPoetryClub · 19/07/2021 15:07

I know it's horrible when they separate them but how come I've never seen them like this before?, In 28 years. Confused
We occasionally hear bellowing in the night from recently separated mother cows but never anything of this magnitude.
I'm going to go over later and ask the farmer (because I'm nosy).

OP posts:
maddening · 19/07/2021 15:12

Maybe the farmer had different mixes of herds?

Scrowy · 19/07/2021 15:12

I would say it would be rare on a dairy farm for all the calves to be taken away from their mothers at the same time. That's generally not how it works on dairy farms as they calve all year round to keep a consistent supply. As the calves are taken away in dairy after they have had colostrum then it's only going to be a few cows/calves being separated at any one time (and lots of dairy cows are so unfussed about this they won't make a noise).

Separating the calves and cows en masse is how it works on beef farms, but only once the calves are naturally weaned, anyway (it's still noisy though!).

If the OP is sure it's dairy then it may well be the heat, I would be more concerned though that they have run out of water or something.

Scrowy · 19/07/2021 15:13

@sylbunny

I agree, it's the calves being taken away. A local farmer confirmed the same on Facebook last week for a herd near me
Dairy farmer or beef farmer?
Scrowy · 19/07/2021 15:16

I would actually put money on it being that they are on a natural water supply that has dried up, meaning they are probably having to wait for water whilst the troughs are filled up by hand.

Dairy herds don't have their calves taken away all at the same time. That's not how dairy works.

OriginalTaste · 19/07/2021 15:17

Cows are my favourite animal, it makes me sad knowing that they have to go through this heartbreak

markmichelle · 19/07/2021 15:24

More likely to be lack of water as stated above, calve separated at a certain age. Bull calves of dairy breeds usually almost immediately or fattened for veal.

MrsMackesy · 19/07/2021 15:25

Having lived next to a farm for a time, the sound of the cows after the removal of their calves was distressing to hear and something I was glad to get away from. This is one of the many harsh realities of farming animals.

MrsMackesy · 19/07/2021 15:29

I can recommend The Secret Life of Cows by Rosamund Young.