10/12/2026
Unfortunate update from the University of Georgia…
P07 has an extremely poor prognosis and ultimately we had to choose to euthanize.
She was just too sick. She had severe bacterial meningitis and a large clot in her lungs. It was a hard blow, as she had been making so much progress and was doing so well yesterday. But today she had another seizure and they found the meningitis, along with a heart defect, and then a clot. Some things are just out of our control.
I know that little calf knew she was loved in her short days. She had a good momma and was very happy until she got sick. I stayed with her for hours at a time and just loved on her. Even if it was only for a few days. That’s our main goal here. All I truly want is to raise these animals with love and treat them ethically.
Yes, we have both a beef and a breeding program, so a majority of our animals will be processed for meat. And that is their purpose. But in the time they have with us I want them to be treated the best we can, cared for the best we can, and to have the happiest life for a cow.
We name them, we love them, we watch their little personalities. It’s such an amazing animal to witness.
People often ask us, “isn’t that hard? Butchering an animal that you named and care about?” And the answer is yes, it’s very hard. But I know that giving them names, and loving them, and treating them with dignity is only hard on the farmer. It’s the best thing for the cow. So as a farmer, we take that in. And we remember that no matter how hard it is for us, we do what is best for them. That’s how you raise ethical beef. That’s the difference you make when you chose to buy your beef from a local farmer. 🤍
Today was another hard one. Another expensive lesson. But at the end of the day, we learned so much. Working with the amazing veterinarians at UGA and watching how they treated her and what I can do better next time. I spent hours talking to some of the top vets about prevention, better breeding practices, nutrition, immunities, forages, I think I asked every question in the book.
We work with Clemson, the NRCS, two amazing local vets, and we do have a farming background. We have never had an operation this large and cattle are not our background. So we are learning hard and fast. And we really enjoy sharing our journey along the way.
We may be riding that struggle bus from time to time, but we will get there!
Today brought us a new calf, a lot of lessons, and another chance to be better. We are very grateful to stand where are today. ❤️
