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Nutmeg

Remembering Nutmeg

February 9, 2025 by Diana

Nutmeg will always be remembered for his (usually) gentle and innocent nature. I hope you enjoy today’s remembrance video in advance of his birthday.

If you’ve been with us for some time, you may recall (or allow me to remind you) of the blog post Boyish Charm I wrote about the endearing qualities that Nutmeg seemed to share with Burrito as well as our  big-headed-and-hearted dog Wilson, who has also since passed away.

I still don’t know what precisely it is about their “enchanting youthful demeanor” that fills me with such love, but I am eternally grateful for having experienced Nutmeg’s presence and big doughy personality, and to have been able to be with him on his last day last spring.

I hope you will eat an apple for Nutmeg tomorrow.

Filed Under: Cattle, Farmed Animals, Nutmeg, Sanctuary Tagged With: birthday, Nutmeg, remembrance

6 Years with the Cattle!

November 2, 2024 by Ellen Brady-McGaughey

As Katelyn mentioned in yesterday’s blog, today is the 6th anniversary of the arrival of our lovely cattle! We celebrated our bovine friends with fresh cuttings of willow, a favorite browse item of the herd. We are also always trying to find new foods they may enjoy but these ladies are surprisingly picky! Today’s willow came with a side of pumpkin, to which Meredith, Honey, and Betsy said a polite, but firm, “no thank you.” Enjoy some photos of our favorite cows, and join us in celebrating 6 years with these silly, sweet, and sometimes spicy ladies. We are so lucky to know and love them!

Betsy enjoying some fresh willow branches.

A close up moment with Honey! She clearly enjoyed her hay pellets!

Honey eating willow branches.

Honey and her daughter, Meredith, enjoying willow branches together.

Meredith looking for the next willow branch to snack on. Look at those pretty curls that are coming in as she grows out her coat for winter!

We also celebrate and remember Nutmeg today, who sadly passed away this past spring after a sudden health crisis. He was a beloved member of the herd and Betsy’s son, and his gentle giant presence is missed daily.

Handsome Nutmeg

Nutmeg and Betsy

Filed Under: Betsy, Cattle, Honey (Cow), Meredith, Nutmeg Tagged With: arrival anniversary, Betsy, cattle, honey cow, Meredith, Nutmeg, willow

Sad news to share about Nutmeg Steer

March 22, 2024 by Diana

We’re sorry to share that Nutmeg has passed away. This is the worst kind of news to share. I always worry about the impact of unexpected news on you all because I know how much you care about the animals here. And while we’ve had longer to absorb the reality of the situation, it’s coming at you all at once.

I know you’ll have a lot of questions, and I’m afraid that we just don’t have definitive answers in the case of Nutmeg. We did all we could for him and made the very tough decision to no longer prolong his discomfort, despite being left unsure about why his body failed him.

Dr. Erin, who has lost more than one night of sleep over the last few days, wrote the below about Nutmeg and her job in caring for him and his family.

Erin touched on this point, but I will add that it’s unusual to see adult male dairy cattle because the males are not economically useful to the industry. Dairy cattle have been bred with maximum milk production as the goal, and this genetic selection has resulted in males growing quickly and becoming very large. Nutmeg was so big that we had trouble finding a hoof trimmer with equipment that could accommodate his frame. While he was overall healthy in his time with us, we knew that his lifespan would likely not be incredibly long because of his size.

———-

From Erin:

I learned in veterinary school that I didn’t want to work with “farm” animals.  I knew I wasn’t cut out to have a production value attached to my patients.  Naive?  Perhaps.  But here I am, almost 35 years later, and the concept of inherent worth is still one I apply to all my patients, all animals, for that matter, no matter what species.  My practice has focused on “companion” animals, dogs, cats and horses, and now, of course, chimpanzees.  In 2018 when the sanctuary welcomed 4 beautiful Jersey cattle to the sanctuary, I thought, “ok Zamzow, here’s another species you aren’t familiar with to learn about!” 

Heck, I learned about pigs by rescuing four of them so why not cattle too!  Well, that knowledge from my “food” animal (now called “agricultural” animal) classes and rotations was buried alongside a few other traumatic experiences in my life.  Yet, as once learned factoids tend to do, it bubbled up here and there and continues to be bolstered by online lectures, helpful, supportive, colleagues and, the best instruction of all, lived experience.  I’m no expert by a long shot and I’d be lost without my cattle vet peeps (including the amazing and recently retired Dr. Mike Fuller here in Ellensburg) and colleagues from various veterinary school teaching hospitals. 

I have come to cherish my time with our little herd.  Getting to know them, their personalities, likes and dislikes and monitoring the health and well-being of these beautiful bovines is a pleasure and I often get ‘delayed’ in the barn or pasture because I enjoy being with them so much.  These cattle get to exist free from the obligation to provide anything for humans-except of course, their natural grazing abilities that help to keep the property clear of excess fire fuel.  

When the herd came to the sanctuary in early November of 2018, Nutmeg was not even 4 years old and already twice as big as his mother Betsy.  In most dairy operations, a calf is separated from their mother anywhere from a few hours to a few days from birth, a traumatic event for both mother and baby.  Fortunately some dairies leave cow and calf together for longer periods but they are still weaned earlier than if the decision were left up to mama and baby.  In Nutmeg and Betsy’s case, the nursing went on, even if occasionally, for over 4 years.  We rarely saw Nutmeg nurse after the herd came to CSNW but every so often someone would report seeing him sneak a sip from mom.  Eventually, things ran their course and the milk bar closed for good. 

Nutmeg (L) and Betsy (R) [Note that despite the obvious size difference, Betsy is actually Nutmeg’s mother]

This week has been a particularly tough one for all of us that love these cattle.  Monday morning, Nutmeg was laying on his side in front of the barn and couldn’t get up.  Cattle can and do lay on their sides once in a while but normally sleep in a ‘sternal’ position with their head curled around toward their back legs.  Because of their size and the weight, like most megafauna, it’s not safe to lay on their sides for very long. Nerve and muscle damage can occur on their down side and the force of gravity causes blood to pool in the down side lungs.  There is also the risk for ‘bloat’, a build up of gas in the rumen that can be life threatening.  A normal adult bovine rumen holds about 40 gallons of fluid/ingesta, a lot of weight in that abdomen that puts pressure on other internal organs if they are in the same position for too long. 

A “downer cow” is situation usually seen in cows after they have given birth and can be due to mineral imbalances or nerve damage sustained in delivery.  In cattle on pasture, it can occur due to injury or a sudden shift in diet from hay to pasture that creates a drop in magnesium.  It can be a hard condition to diagnose and sometimes, they just get down in the wrong position on an incline and can’t get their feet back under them.  

We immediately got to work to turn Nutmeg onto his other side and then get him in a sternal position – no easy feat when dealing with a 2000 lb animal, but JB and Diana are amazingly creative when it comes to figuring out what one of our residents needs. We checked electrolyte and mineral levels, administered  IV and oral electrolytes, dextrose and anti-inflammatory medications  and monitored his vital signs closely.  When a large animal is down, it’s important that they be watched continually in case they hurt themselves trying to get up.  Nutmeg was propped up and watched around the clock with staff and volunteer Anthony taking shifts throughout the day and night. He was blanketed, brushed and doted on.   JB was able to fashion a sling with some firehose so he could be lifted for short periods to take the weight off his legs. I did acupuncture and laser treatments on him as well which he initially seemed to respond to.   

Nutmeg ate and drank water, chewed his cud and made valiant efforts to rise but by Wednesday afternoon, it was clear that he was exhausted and had sustained too much damage to his hind legs to recover.  His appetite waned and the look in his eye changed.  He spent his last night on a massive bed of straw in the barn, with his mama and Honey by his side and Meredith in her recovery pen just a few feet away.  Staff visited and said their goodbyes and yesterday afternoon he was peacefully freed from his body and laid to rest surrounded by love.  

Our hearts are broken and we will miss our beautiful, gentle giant so much.  I am deeply thankful that he and his herd were sent to sanctuary instead of back to the dairy industry and that he was able to spend the last 5 1/2 years of his life grazing the pastures of this beautiful sanctuary with his family.  

 

———-

We don’t talk about this much, but J.B. and I became vegan after first meeting chimpanzees and contemplating that line that humanity has historically drawn between “us” and “animals” and learning about industrial agriculture. We’re not perfect or pure vegans by any means, so perhaps the term plant-based is more appropriate, but we came to the decision from an animal welfare perspective, as did Dr. Erin many years ago. I think there are different ways of looking at personal food choices, and we certainly don’t expect everyone to come to the same decisions, but everyone should know what’s involved in producing the food they eat.

Our nearest neighbor manages a beef cattle ranch that harkens back to an older way of farming, where the cattle graze freely and contentedly. The calves stay with their moms and herds for some time before being separated, but, ultimately it’s still a for-profit business and they are separated and sold.  This neighbor was more than happy to help us with Nutmeg when we first discovered our tractor was not strong enough to fully lift him off the ground. He brought his tractor over and helped us lift Nutmeg in the hopes that we could help him stand again. We are extremely grateful for Austin’s help, generosity, and undertanding.

It seems fitting to end this post with one of the last photos that Katelyn took of Nutmeg with his mom:

He will forever be her baby.

Filed Under: Cattle, News, Nutmeg Tagged With: cattle, cow, neighbor, Nutmeg, sad news

Be mine, Nutmeg

February 10, 2024 by Sabrina

Today we celebrate Nutmeg’s 9th Birthday! He came here to CSNW with his mom Betsy, along with their friends Honey and Meredith from a sanctuary in California. Nutmeg is a lucky guy since he has been able to live his entire life in sanctuary!

Here at CSNW Nutmeg likes to spend his day with his bovine family eating from the apple trees scattered around the property, getting head scratched from his human friends and enjoying his cob and applesauce for a treat!

 

 

You can read more about Nutmeg here!  Nutmeg is blessed to have two Bovine Buddies, Monica and Jackie, but if you are interested in joining them you can find information about the buddy program here!

 

Filed Under: Nutmeg, Sanctuary Tagged With: be mine, birthday, cattle, Nutmeg, steer

Meredith’s Healing Update

February 2, 2024 by Ellen Brady-McGaughey

As J.B. covered in a previous blog, Meredith started slowing down this past summer which we discovered was due to osteoarthritis. She had a procedure at WSU to correct this in her right front foot, and she has been recovering and healing from this procedure. We were happy to welcome her back home to continue her recovery after her stay at WSU in December and early January, and I wanted to provide you all with an update on her progress since returning home.

Honey checks on her daughter, Meredith

She continues to show promising signs of healing, and seems to be feeling very ready to break out of her recovery stall to rejoin her herd! She has been enjoying extra attention from her caregivers during our cattle time, complete with lots of pets and scratches. Dr. Erin has also been coming for extra check ins on Meredith and helping to care for her and the herd. While I know she is ready to fully rejoin her family, I do think she enjoys having her own personal hay feeder to snack on at her leisure and not having to hurry to finish her grain before grain-obsessed Betsy is done with hers and looking around for more snacks! She will be due for her recheck appointment soon, so we will know more about exactly how her foot is healing. We hope for continued good news!

Enjoy some pictures of the rest of the herd as well. We are all enjoying the sunshine today!

Nutmeg showing off his best side (okay, all sides are his best side) and looking a little sassy

L to R: Nutmeg, Honey, Betsy, and Meredith in the back.

Betsy and Honey, looking ready to drop their next album!

Filed Under: Betsy, Cattle, Honey (Cow), Meredith, Nutmeg, Sanctuary, Veterinary Care Tagged With: Betsy, honey cow, Meredith, Nutmeg, osteoarthritis, recovery

Brrrrrrrr….itto

October 24, 2023 by Chad de Bree

It always takes me by surprise when there is a dramatic shift in the weather. Just a couple days ago we were sitting comfortably in 70º weather. Even just yesterday we were still in 60º weather. But the forecast today is a high of 45º and the rest of the week’s forecast is a little dimmer with the highs not expected to surpass 37º and the low expected to be around 15º by Friday night with some snow sprinkled here and there. This dramatic shift in weather doesn’t just surprise me, it surprises every one. I type this as J.B. is now running around winterizing the Chimp House to ensure the chimpanzees are warm and cozy.

Gordo watching J.B. putting up the winter panels to the Riverview Greenhouse

With the chimpanzees retreating to the warmest spots indoors, it was almost impossible to get any photos that weren’t worse quality than that one of Gordo. Or, on the flip side of things, trying to take a decent photo of a chimpanzee who is constantly in motion is also almost impossible.

Case in point: One Burrito Chimpanzee

The only decent photos I was able to get today are:

Dora and Lucky grooming

And the Marvelous Miss Mave

So to reminisce of warmer times, here are some photos from the past couple of days!

Terry sitting on a barrel and watching while Lucky grooms the back of my hand

Nutmeg and Betsy chowing down on some supplemental hay in addition to their grazing opportunities in the pastures

Ok. This next one to me is just the epitome of Dora and her relationship with others.

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Dora sitting above Mave and Honey B as they groom

Young’s Hill as I was leaving the sanctuary last night

After looking at that last photo again, in hindsight I should have seen the signs this kind of weather was coming up. We can only hope things get slightly better for Jamieween!

Speaking of Jamieween, there are still a couple of items left on our Amazon Wish List with just enough time to make it here for the party. But today is sort of the deadline for them to make it in time.

And lastly, a quick update! As some of you know, we use Tru Earth laundry strips. The people at Tru Earth were kind enough to gives our own fundraising page where 20% of sales will go toward the care of the chimpanzees and cattle. We just wanted to make people aware the link to our fundraising page has changed. Every purchase made at this link will have 20% of the purchase go towards the sanctuary!

Filed Under: Betsy, Burrito, Cattle, Chimpanzee, Dora, Gordo, Honey B, Lucky, Mave, Nutmeg, Sanctuary, Terry Tagged With: Betsy, Burrito, cattle, dora, Gordo, Honey B, Lucky, Mave, Nutmeg, Sanctuary, Terry, winter

The Cattle Apple Saddle

July 18, 2023 by Chad de Bree

Please join Betsy, Honey, Meredith, and Nutmeg for lunch! During the colder months, we supplement the cattle’s diet with grass hay, oat hay, and alfalfa. During the warmer months, other than the cattle’s other supplements that we provide, caregivers generally allow the cattle to roam and graze on whatever their hearts desire. In this video, Nutmeg and Meredith are eating some apples from the apple tree in their pasture, Betsy is munching on some willow near the pond, and Honey was just getting done grazing on some grass.

Here are some bonus photos from today!

With the weather holding out with temperate conditions, Negra’s group had a nice lunch forage on Young’s Hill.

Negra

Burrito and Foxie

Foxie

Missy

Here are some Bonus-Bonus photos!

Burrito

Foxie taking it easy

Annie making her bird noises

And Jamie taking notes

Recently, we added Sprout Pencils to our Amazon Wish List as a new type of enrichment. These pencils have a capsule full of seeds where the eraser is supposed to be. When you are done with them, you can plant the pencil and different types of plants are supposed to grow. There are still some on the Wish List if you would like to help us stockpile some of them for the chimps!

Filed Under: Betsy, Cattle, Honey (Cow), Latest Videos, Meredith, Nutmeg, Sanctuary Tagged With: apples, Betsy, bovine, cattle, cows, Honey, lunch, Meredith, Nutmeg, pasture, summer

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Cle Elum, WA 98922
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