‘Til The Cows Come Home Three calves fight for their lives

At least 400,000 bobby calves are destined for slaughter each year in Australia (RSPCA Australia). This is the story of three who were rescued by 'Til The Cows Come Home. Heartbreakingly, they did not all make it.

Words by Maiyah Kenz and Photos kindly supplied by ‘Til The Cows Come Home

Oscar was not given a name at his birth; he was just a number. Stripped from his mother after only three days of his birth, he was facing the same fate as hundreds of thousands of calves.

As a boy in the dairy industry, not producing milk diminishes the value of his life. He is considered a “surplus” or “waste” product.

His mother, like most female cows on dairy farms, is kept in a constant cycle – artificial impregnation, birthing, milk production, repeat. He may have not been the first calf she had carried and birthed, to be taken from her. Sadly, nor would he be the last.

You may hope the routine abuse would become easier for her. This is not the case. So traumatised, mothers have broken down fences, cried in anguish and even hidden their calves from farmers.

Their stolen calves are usually split into two groups, those for human consumption and those to be "disposed of". Oscar was destined for the latter.

This is when Sari and Oscar's paths crossed.

Sari is a foster carer at ‘Til The Cows Come Home, an Australian not-forprofit animal charity. On her property in Gippsland, she homes unwanted calves – giving them the medical treatment they require, and the love they deserve. She has spent years developing relationships with dairy farms in Gippsland in an effort to rescue as many calves as possible.

When calves are born – before they are due to be “disposed of” – Sari and ‘Til The Cows Come Home will negotiate their rescue.

Oscar was one of those lucky calves.

When picking him up, Sari witnessed first-hand him being snatched from his mother, his mother following in panic.

"I was a bit shocked that he had been left on mum for 3 days as they are normally removed within 12 to 24 hours so the cow can get back in the milking shed." – Sari Williams, 'Til The Cows Come Home Foster Carer and Acting Foster Care Coordinator.

Initially, he struggled a little to settle into his newfound freedom. Sadly, this is no surprise after the trauma he has endured.

"Oscar was wild with not having any human contact for 3 days. Just enjoying the love and care of his mum. He had so much fear in his eyes. When I put him in a lovely warm straw-filled calf shed, he started crashing into the walls and gates – trying to escape.

He wouldn't even glance at me. I think if he had got loose, he would have ran and ran until he fell exhausted.

I just sat down in the corner and talked and talked about anything and everything so he could get used to my voice. He just stood wide-eyed staring out the gate."

It's no doubt he misses his mother, the first days were difficult for Oscar and Sari.

"Night time milk feed was the same, more banging and crashing into everything. I had to corner him and hold him tight to get him to drink, he kicked out backwards and made a nice mess of my legs. But I was just so relieved he drank.

Over the next 24 hours, I spent so much time sitting and talking slowly getting closer and closer. I even managed a little chin tickle. I was elated!" After a few days of unwavering love, consistent care and bucketloads of patience he has now settled nicely into his foster home with Sari. It is truly incredible to see the change love can create.

Others have not been so lucky. Only a few weeks after Oscar's rescue, Benjamin was surrendered into our care.

When Sari first laid eyes on Benjamin, he was a tiny, skeletal little boy, still trying to take in the world he’d been born into only three days before. He was extremely ill and heartbreakingly not all rescues survive. Sometimes they’re too sick, too far gone. Sometimes, they just don’t have the strength to fight.

Over the next few days, Benjamin switched between drinking from a bottle and having to be tube-fed. Sari got up at midnight every night to feed him electrolytes.

With each passing day, his eye grew cloudier. His energy levels never picked up. Benjamin’s eye had clouded over so much, it was blue. As if he’d gone blind. He refused his milk. He refused to stand. Sari knew.

“Fostering calves is the most rewarding, wonderful experience. They make you smile, laugh, cry - and they break your heart when you can no longer help them, and they slowly pass away in your arms.”

For the few days Benjamin had on this earth, he knew love he would have never known. This is what keeps us fighting. This is what drove Sari to return to the farm and continue our mission.

Cows, much like humans, are sociable animals. They bond with their friends and like any of us in the most stressful of times we need our companions. Oscar was now safe, but lonely.

Until he met Daryl.

Daryl was set to face the same fate as Oscar, on the same farm in Gippsland. With the support of our generous donors, we could stop that from happening.

Thus begins the bromance of this pair. Sharing this journey bonded them into the inseparable duo they are today. They have relied on one another and now never leave each other’s side.

As the best of friends, they have morphed into one. A pair of ‘firecrackers’, excited for life and full of beans. Don't let this fool you though, they are softies at heart. Always on the hunt for cuddles, we know anyone would fall in love with them both just as Sari and our team have.

"Daryl very quickly bonded with Oscar and now they spend their days grazing the paddock, cutting laps around the paddock or sleeping in the sun."

Now ready to find their forever home. If you can open your heart and home to these joyful boys, giving them another chance at life, please get in touch by emailing info@tilthecowscomehome.org

At ‘Til The Cows Come Home, it is our mission to transform the lives of unwanted farm animals through rescuing, rehoming and promoting a kinder world. This is only made possible through the generosity of the public.

People's kind donations are what allow us to continue to rescue and rehome unwanted calves in Gippsland, please consider donating through our website: calf-rescue.tilthecowscomehome.org

About ‘Til The Cows Come Home

‘Til The Cows Come Home is a registered animal charity in Australia, operating Australia wide and founded in 2018. We rescue unwanted, unviable, “waste’’ farmed animals, rehabilitate them in short term foster care and rehome them into safe, loving, forever homes as companions.

To date we have helped transform the lives of over 1,800 farm animals. We are predominately made up of volunteers and rely on the kindness of public donations to keep our mission going.

We are the voices for those forgotten and we hope we can inspire you to not only share their stories but make more compassionate choices.

Our Vision: Create a more compassionate world where farm animals are viewed as companions, not commodities.

Our Mission: We transform the lives of unwanted farm animals through rescuing, rehoming and promoting a kinder world. We give a voice to farm animals by telling their stories and inspiring change.

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