Soule: Saving A Life; Drama in the Barnyard

It feels good to save a life. Of course, it's best to avoid accidents, but even with the best planning, they happen, and last week Bear, a Scottish Highlander yearling, needed rescuing. A favorite of mine, Bear, is in training to give rides to young visitors to Miles Smith Farm.

More than once, I've written about the dangers of a hay feeder. It's a large metal contraption set up so cattle can eat, but not waste, expensive hay. We have two different styles of feeders. One is called a "tombstone feeder," which holds the hay in place with twelve tombstone-shaped barriers. The cow lifts her head and then lowers it between two tombstones to eat. This system works well for large animals, but a yearling can get his head between tombstones and sometimes lacks the height or leverage to lift his head out.

The day of the accident, husband Bruce loaded the tombstone feeder with a bale, and after dinner, my puppy, Flora, joined me to check for newborn calves. As I walked toward the field with the feeder, I heard a soft moo, which was slightly odd. Then I saw the pregnant cows run toward the feeder, also odd. Cows know when one of their own is in distress, so worried that a cow in labor needed assistance, I walked faster.

Then I saw it; Bear with his head stuck between two tombstones, with Winnie standing nearby.

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Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, in Loudon, N.H., where she raises and sells beef, pork, lamb, eggs and other local products.