Cows
From the July 14, 1975 issue of the Brijabasi Spirit
by Ganendra dasa
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! Have you ever had a feeling right down in your bones that something inauspicious was about to happen? Well, last week Bhakta Kurt and I got up at one o’clock as usual in the morning to go and herd the cows down before the morning milking. We started out on this very dark night with only one flashlight, which was giving a feeble light. We walked up to the two strip pastures and split up in search of the mothers; Kurt took the bottom strip with the flashlight, and I took the top without. As we started out we both had an odd feeling because none of the cows were congregated around the grove of trees at the top of the hill as they usually are. Anyway, half way down the bottom strip, next to the barbed-wire fence, we found her, Mother Sati, New Vrindaban’s first Brown Swiss cow, lying dead. She had fallen down an incline next to the fence and couldn’t get back up despite many struggling attempt. No exact conclusion has been made as to the cause of her death other than a few speculations, but of course we know it was Krsna’s supreme will. Sati had two calves here, the first was a bull that also died, and the last was Siva, a nice bull that appears to be a promising oxen, and who is presently living at Nandagram. Just recently Kirtanananda MahaÂraja remarked that Sati was just that type of cow we want to keep. She gave a good amount of milk over several months, steadily, with hardly a sickness, if any. Now however, she is fortunate enough to hate an opportunity of getting a human birth in Vrindaban. Certainly her service was most satisfying to Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha-VrndabanaCandra.
That same morning during milking, Citraleka, a Guernsey heifer that we got from
Buffalo farm, gave birth to a dead calf. The calf was so big that it considerable damage to Citraleka’s vagina, so it may take a long time for Ambirish prabhu to get her back in shape to be bred again. Also, Citraleka has the smallest milk bag and the smallest teats of any fresh cow that we have seen, and she takes a long time to milk. For these reasons, MaÂharaja suggested that we put her in a pen with a couple of nursing calves and let them take advantage of whatever milk she is making. We estimate that to be around 20 pounds a day. So now Sriman and Kalki are drinking from her twice a day, and are feeling very blissful.
Three new calves were born live this week. Mother Bhadra gave birth to a bull named
Ravi. Satya had a heifer, named Radhabhava and Bhumi had our bull Rupa’s first offspring, who is a bull calf named Tarksya. There is some controversy as to whether Rupa is really the sire or not, but as far as our records and memories go, he is.
We did some moving of cows this week, as six of our dry mothers went to Madhuban from Bahulaban. Mothers Pritha, Rati, Cintamani, Rohini, Gopipriya and Yasoda were taken up to enjoy Madhuban’s pasture. Up to Vrindaban went recently fresh Mother Satya to take care of Vrindaban’s milk needs. We hear that she was greeted with hugs and kisses from Hari Dhama and Radhanath prabhus. Down from Vrindaban came three soon-to-come-fresh
Holstein heifers; Rathadasi, Gandhari and Kalindi. Most promising of these is Kalindi, whose mother, a karmi cow named Pam, has the
Marshall county reÂcord of giving 125 pounds of milk in one day. All of Pam’s other daughters have proÂduced over 100 pounds of milk a day, so we have high hopes for Kalindi.
One last note is on Prajapati, our
Jersey bull, who was staying up at Vrindaban. One day last week he got tired of staying with the mothers up there and decided to walk on his own down the road to Bahulaban. He has been staying in the new barn ever since9 but he looks like he is missing his independence.
All Glories to Krsna’s cows and New Vrindabanss cow protection program without which this wretch wouldn’t have a slight chance of becoming regulated in devotional service. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Ganendra dasa
