An Unexpected Pregnancy
2012 has been the Year of the Calves, with four calves born before June. But just when we thought we had seen the last baby for awhile, an unexpected pregnancy was detected by Caitanya Bhagavat. Saraswati, a gentle Jersey cow, will be giving birth shortly, and has been moved from Bahulaban to the Goshalla to await her delivery. Evidently, a neighbor’s bull escaped from his confinement to breed with Saraswati last year.
Saraswati was donated to New Vrindaban in 2008, along with four other Jerseys, five Brown Swiss and two Holsteins. At the time, we were unable to breed any of them. In fact, all of the new Jersey cows were too wild to be handled except for Saraswati. Her natue is extremely affectionate and she loves to be petted, which makes her stand out from the rest of the herd.
“Krishna wants her milk!” replied Jaya Prabhupada when asked about this divine arrangement. “Our cows are mothers to Krishna,” he said, “because her milk is offered directly to the deities. And the cowherds are actually pujaris to the cows because the cows are worshipable,” he concluded.
Jerseys are especially known for their high-quality, fatty milk, and since they’re smaller than other breeds, they eat less while producing more. But that’s a secondary consideration at New Vrindaban. The devotees just want to please Krishna with fresh milk from His beloved Mother cows.
