Schwarzenegger signs bill banning farmers from slicing the tails off California cows

AP on Mercury News ^ | 10/12/09 | Tracie Cone - ap

[LiberConservative]

Well, the impotent RINO has to do SOMETHING, doesn’t he? I’m just saying.

[GeronL]

What else does this backwater state lack? Does it not have Bolivarian Circles?

[Cloverfarm]

“... never seen them dock tails on cattle.”

I have. One of our neighbors does it. The theory is that their manure will coat the switch (long hair at the end) adn get the udder dirty and lead to infection or cleanliness problems.

Trouble is, cutting off half the cow’s tail leaves them with a stub that’s no good for swatting flies. However, cow barns adn flies go together like peanut butter and jelly.

My opinion is that it’s unnecessary. The cows are more likely to lay in manure than anything. And if it takes a few more minutes to do a good job washing up before milking, too bad.

[ladyjane]

This is a joke. It has to be.

It’s okay to cut their testicles off but not their tails?

[South40]

Sorry, NR. But if you start a thread about cows you've got to expect to see a picture or two of Hillary.

:-)

[MaxMax]

Why? Does the tail absorb the methane flatulence and the Sierra club demanded it?

Hey Swartz, you cannot win with these nut-jobs. Soon you'll see.

[cripplecreek]

The cows are more likely to lay in manure than anything. And if it takes a few more minutes to do a good job washing up before milking, too bad.

Yeah, that's always been my experience as well. The big dairy farm I worked at had one long time employee who did all the milking parlour work. He lived on the farm right next to the parlour and was in at 3AM 7 days a week.

[pointsal]

Arnuld wouldn't know a good set of balls if they showed up on his dinner plate.... In fact, let's start a contest to rename "Rocky Mountain Oysters" to something reflecting the absence of gonads on the Governor of California.

Help me please....

Where is Calcow girl these days?

[NormsRevenge]

No problem. If anyone knows about cattle and how to handle and dress ‘em.. Hil does.

[NormsRevenge]

Hiatus, best case.

gone for good, worse case.

I think she got tired of all the idiotic attacks here.

I miss her. She was a heckuva researcher.

[muir_redwoods]

I’ve never tried to make a living raising cattle so, as a matter of personal policy, I have never tried to tell those who do make a living raising cattle how to raise cattle.

[bog trotter]

For the uninformed-—the only time I know of this being done is when a sow has new young’uns. She has a tendency to just flop down when she is tired and a farrowing crate, as it is called, has a half-high side so the little ones can get under and out of the way when their 700# momma decides to take a nap. But she is pretty much confined for a couple of weeks until the kids learn to move out of the way.
As ususal, city folks getting all hot and bothered about they know not what.
Guess it’s better that half or more baby piggies get squashed.

[ThomasThomas]

And there are other methods that work.

[faucetman]

My wife wears one of those! I always wondeed what it was for.

[faucetman]

wondeed = wondered

[cydcharisse]

I know several dairy farmers here in upstate NY including my own family, and they all dock the tails of their entire herd.

It’s ridiculous. The darn things are dumb as rocks, but it makes me sick to see them mutilated.

A stupid and unnecessary practice.

[tubebender]

I have spent the past 2 hours pondering over this practice and then Viola! it came to me. How will we make Ox Tail soup without Ox tails...

[piasa]

We never cut their nuts off but we did clamp them. At least they got to lick them goodbye before they dried up. {:-b

[piasa]

So, what brand of udder cream does she use?

[NormsRevenge]

ox tail, soup, wifey loves it, that and saimin.. we always stop at a local restaurant whenever we hit Oahu or the Big Island so she can indulge.