08/09/2026
Some losses on the farm hit differently. This one hurts deeply.
After four days of doing everything we could to help Hagrid, we had to make the incredibly difficult decision to let him go.
Sometime, somehow, Hagrid suffered what we believe now was a hip injury. Despite our best efforts, he could no longer get himself up, and at only 16 months old, we were faced with a decision we weren’t prepared to make so soon.
Hagrid was our first steer, but he was so much more than that to us. He was the first male Highland we truly bonded with…the one who showed us just how gentle, trusting and incredibly sweet these animals can be. In many ways, he helped shape the vision we have for our herd.
His temperament is one of the reasons we were so particular when choosing a bull. We wanted that same calm, kind nature, and ultimately found it in his half-brother, Harry. There is something comforting in knowing that a little piece of what we loved so much about Hagrid will hopefully carry forward in the heart of our herd.
And Hagrid certainly did his job here.
At one point or another, he was a companion to every cow on this farm. He welcomed new arrivals, kept others company when they needed it, and somehow seemed to fit wherever we needed him. He was sweet as pie, endlessly patient, and almost always a favorite of anyone who met him.
He was also part of something we never fully anticipated when we brought these animals home…the lessons this farm would give our boys.
They get to experience the magic of watching animals grow, feeding them, brushing them, earning their trust and loving them. But farm life also asks them to witness the harder parts. Hagrid gave us an opportunity to begin teaching them that loving an animal means being responsible for them through all of it, not just the fun and beautiful days. Sometimes love looks like fighting for them, sometimes it means knowing when to let them go, and always it means treating their life with gratitude and respect.
Those aren't necessarily lessons we wanted them to have to learn this soon, but they are lessons we hope will help shape the kind of men they become someday.
We are heartbroken by how suddenly this happened. Four days of hoping, trying, helping him up, his will to live, and wishing for a different outcome made the final decision incredibly hard. But when it became clear that his body wasn't going to cooperate with that big, sweet heart of his, we knew loving him also meant not asking him to suffer for us.
We made the decision to process Hagrid so that his life would continue to provide for our family and nothing would be wasted. It wasn't an easy choice, but for us, it felt like the most honest way to honor an animal who gave so much during his short life…and perhaps one final lesson for our boys about gratitude, stewardship, and understanding where our food comes from.
We will also keep his hide and skull here at Roaring Rocks, a tangible reminder of the very special steer who helped start all of this.
Hagrid may have only been with us for a short time, but his impact will last far longer.
Rest easy, sweet Hagrid. Thank you for the special memories. 🤎
You did your job so very well.
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