I run across a story about the plight of the dairy cow in the recent rains in California and it could just make me cry. I don't know how many of you have seen the California cheese commercials that feature dairy cows grazing in lush green pastures and saying how happy they are but I've always had a problem with these commercials since dairy cows are run in a feedlot setting in todays high output environment and not out on grass like the commercials dictate. This story tells you what its like in such a feedlot environment when the rains come endlessly like in California like they have recently.Cows produce less milk when they have to expend so much energy slogging through water. Also, cows resist lying down in standing water and will stand for days in the soggy muck until they collapse - and sometimes die - from exhaustion.
I am not saying I know how to fix the situation but it just makes me cringe seeing the cows standing in such muck and mud struggling in it. I just want to save them somehow.
There is a whole picture galley of items dealing with the recent storms in California and the first 6 are of dairy cows fighting the mud. Not a pretty sight if you ask me and not very good advertising for the California dairy industry.
Say I'm weary, say I'm sad,
Say that health and wealth have missed me,
Say I'm growing old
Leigh Hunt
Can you imagine what it would cost to haul straw that far?
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&address=&city=chino&state=ca&zipcode=
hmmn. That is a pretty developed area -- maybe the dairy farm is enclosed by berms so the runoff doesn't get into the storm system?
Yep, that's it:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/02/24/california.storm.dairy.ap/
"CHINO, California (AP) -- The record rains in Southern California have done heavy damage to the dairy industry, killing or sickening cows and leaving herds udder-deep in mud and cold water.
Many farmers are watching their cows die from exhaustion and exposure.
Dairy farmers said the drenching has cost the Southern California industry at least $38 million in lost milk production, dead and sickened animals, and damage to holding ponds and other flood-control features on their farms.
In many cases, the farmers are unable to do much to remove the standing water, because of strict environmental laws regulating dairy-farm runoff, which is usually fouled with manure.
"We have nowhere to go with the water, the ground is soaked. Our dairies aren't designed to deal with this," said Art Marquez, a third-generation dairy farmer in this community about 40 miles east of Los Angeles.
Marquez has 2,000 cows at two dairies and said he has lost at least $2,000 a day to the rain over the past few weeks."
They've gotten 200% of normal rainfall. Sheesh.