Cattle

Born ~2007 (birthday celebrated November 10)

You can  now support the sanctuary by becoming Honey’s Bovine Buddy! Honey currently has 4 Buddies!

Honey has the classic “Jersey girl” markings and is a key member of her herd, spending time with all of the other cattle. Like her three companions, she came to our sanctuary on November 2, 2018 from Farm Sanctuary‘s Northern California shelter. She loves food and has one of the fastest tongues in the west.

Along with Betsy, she started her life as one of the more than nine million cows that produce milk for human consumption in the U.S. Honey and Betsy’s fate was quite different than most, however. They were purchased from the dairy farm on which they lived by TV producers working on a reality series called “Utopia” to be used for their milk on the show. Cows, like all mammals, begin producing milk only when they become pregnant so that they can feed their young. So, both Betsy and Honey were pregnant when they appeared on the television show. Honey gave birth on set to a cow the cast called “Ca$h Cow” but was later renamed Meredith at Farm Sanctuary. When the show ended, the veterinarian and the show’s producer didn’t want to send Honey and her new family back into the dairy industry. Farm Sanctuary stepped in and offered to take all of them.

Honey had a bad case of mastitis that the Farm Sanctuary staff treated for her first two months at the shelter. Because of the infection, she was unable to nurse her daughter. Luckily, Betsy, who was pregnant, gladly took on the role of nursing Meredith.

We are so glad to have had the opportunity to adopt Honey and her special family when Farm Sanctuary’s Northern California shelter was closed. Most of the cattle at the shelter in Orland were moved to their Watkins Glen, NY shelter, but we were lucky enough to be able to adopt Honey and the other three cattle in her herd. All of the cattle are beloved by staff, and they help firewise the property by grazing down the grass.

Born February 10, 2015

You can  now support the sanctuary by becoming Nutmeg’s Bovine Buddy! Nutmeg currently has 4 Buddies!

Nutmeg is a big male Jersey steer but still looks to his mom Betsy for comfort. Like his four companions, he came to our sanctuary on November 2, 2018 from Farm Sanctuary‘s Northern California shelter. Nutmeg is lucky as he has only known a life in sanctuary. He’s a pretty mellow guy who follows dutifully after the herd. He likes to press his head against his human caregivers as they brush his charming red curly locks.

Nutmeg was born at Farm Sanctuary on February 10, 2015. His mom Betsy, along with Honey, were dairy cows purchased for a reality TV series called “Utopia”. When the show ended, the veterinarian and the show’s producer didn’t want to send pregnant Betsy and her new family back into the dairy industry. Seeking an alternative, and lucky for Nutmeg and his family, they found Farm Sanctuary.

Betsy was a devoted mother to Nutmeg from day one:

We are so glad to have had the opportunity to adopt Nutmeg when Farm Sanctuary’s Northern California shelter closed. Most of the cattle were moved to their Watkins Glen, NY shelter, but we were lucky enough to be able to adopt Nutmeg, his mom Betsy, and their two friends. All of the cattle are beloved by staff, and they help firewise the property by grazing down the grass.

Born 2015 (birthday celebrated September 23)

You can  now support the sanctuary by becoming Meredith’s Bovine Buddy! Meredith currently has 3 Buddies!

Meredith is an adventurous Jersey cow who has been able to lead a very different life than most other cows bred for dairy production. Like her three companions, she came to our sanctuary on November 2, 2018 from Farm Sanctuary‘s Northern California shelter. Meredith has an independent streak, though she’s tight with her herd. She enjoys having her neck scratched by her caregivers and will stretch it out as far as she can while being scratched.

Meredith’s mom Honey, along with Betsy, were dairy cows purchased for a reality TV series called “Utopia”.  Meredith was born on set and originally called “Ca$h Cow” by the crew. When the show was cancelled, the veterinarian and the show’s producer didn’t want to send Meredith and her family back into the dairy industry. Seeking an alternative, they found Farm Sanctuary.

Honey had a bad case of mastitis that the Farm Sanctuary staff treated for her first two months at the shelter. Because of the infection, she was unable to nurse her daughter. Luckily, Betsy, who was pregnant, gladly took on the role of nursing Meredith, alongside her own son, Nutmeg, after he was born.

So, instead of being sent back to the dairy, where she would have been impregnated and then milked until she was considered “spent”, Meredith grew up with two moms and an adopted baby brother at Farm Sanctuary.

We are so glad to have had the opportunity to adopt Meredith and her family when Farm Sanctuary’s Northern California shelter was closed. Most of the cattle were moved to their Watkins Glen, NY shelter, but we were lucky enough to be able to adopt the “Utopia family”. All of the cattle are beloved by staff, and they help firewise the property by grazing down the grass.

Born ~2007 (birthday celebrated July 20)

You can now support the sanctuary by becoming Betsy’s Bovine Buddy! Betsy currently has 7 Buddies!

Betsy, a beautiful Jersey cow with a dark face, has a sweet and protective personality. Like her three companions, she came to our sanctuary on November 2, 2018 from Farm Sanctuary‘s Northern California shelter. She is very bonded to her cattle family and spends hours licking whoever is closer.

Along with Honey, she started her life as one of the more than nine million cows that produce milk for human consumption in the U.S. Betsy and Honey’s fate was quite different than most, however. They were purchased from the dairy farm on which they lived by TV producers working on a reality series called “Utopia” to be used for their milk on the show. Cows, like all mammals, begin producing milk only when they become pregnant so that they can feed their young. So, both Betsy and Honey were pregnant when they appeared on the television show. When the show ended, the veterinarian and the show’s producer didn’t want to send Betsy and her new family back into the dairy industry. Seeking an alternative, they found Farm Sanctuary. Shortly after arriving at Farm Sanctuary, Betsy gave birth to a son named Nutmeg.

Betsy proved to be a very protective mother to Nutmeg and stand-in mother for Honey’s calf Meredith when Honey was unable to nurse Meredith due to a bad case of mastitis. Nutmeg was the first calf that Betsy had been allowed to raise, and we are thrilled to be able to watch this special family continue to grow at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

We are so glad to have had the opportunity to adopt Betsy when Farm Sanctuary’s Northern California shelter closed. Most of the cattle were moved to their Watkins Glen, NY shelter, but we were lucky enough to be able to adopt Betsy, her son Nutmeg, and their two friends. All of the cattle are beloved by staff, and they help firewise the property by grazing down the grass!