A sad day at Park Place Farm

Today, my dad had to put down our first baby born on our farm, TT.

Let me give you some history.

TT was a bull calf born on an extremely cold night/morning- February 16th or 17th, 2007. We found him early in the morning lying on the cement in the barnyard. We immediately moved him and mama (Grand Champion at Eastern States) inside the barn to get warm. We rubbed and warmed TT for hours. I even lay with/on him to keep him warm. Finally, the vet came, gave him something, and the next day he was up and eating from mama. Our first born was a bit of a miracle.

my dad feeding TT February 17, 2007



TT looking alert the next day




February 23, 2007- out and about with mama



TT! (Named after Tiki Barber)

He grew bigger and bigger and would always look up when you called his name. He was a great bull and helped give us lots of beautiful babies. He was borrowed for about a year to breed at another farm and he had just come home in August. In October, a neighbor had noticed that he was having difficulty walking, so we called the vet. The vet diagnosed that he had a respiratory infection and pumped him with fluids and antibiotics. (Our land is organic, but we take care of our animals conventionally if needed.) He got better for a few days- possibly even a week. Then he became lame in his back end and was not able to get up. The vet came again, took some blood and other samples and guessed that TT had dislocated his hip/pelvis and created an abscess or there was an abscess on his spine. At any rate, he gave him some fluids and told us to make him comfortable until we got the blood work back. He was getting worse and worse the past couple of days. When the vet was here, I had made the comment that TT was born on the concrete and he's dying on the concrete. That got to my dad. He just wants to do what's right and doesn't want to see any of his animals in pain and suffering. Luckily I wasn't here when he "got rid" of TT today. I know you're not supposed to get attached to your animals- they aren't pets. TT was different. I kept him alive when he was born. He was a beautiful bull- great coloring and had a nice temperament.

Rest in Peace, TT. I will miss you. And so will your ladies.

TT, lying in the sun, April 13, 2010