Guest guest Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 Hare Krsna Prabhus Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. I just visited Radhadesh this weekend. There where since a few years only two cows left. Gaura Mata and her daughter Nandi. A few weeks ago they laid down in the stable and couldn't get up anymore. Gaura Mata died last week. Nandi is still living. She can sit up on her front legs but cant get her back legs up anymore. So now my question is what is best to do in such a case? -give her a lot of food so she stays strong? -or just water and a little hay? -or only water so she will die quickly and dont suffer to long? I'm sure there are many possibilities. But what is best? What did you do in such a case? Haribol, your servant, Hari Kirtan dasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 - Hari Kirtan JDG <Hari.Kirtan.JDG (AT) pamho (DOT) net> Sunday, February 22, 2004 4:30 pm dying cow > Hare Krsna Prabhus > Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. > > I just visited Radhadesh this weekend. There where since a few > years only > two cows left. Gaura Mata and her daughter Nandi. A few weeks ago > they laid > down in the stable and couldn't get up anymore. Gaura Mata died > last week. > Nandi is still living. She can sit up on her front legs but cant > get her > back legs up anymore. > So now my question is what is best to do in such a case? > -give her a lot of food so she stays strong? > -or just water and a little hay? > -or only water so she will die quickly and dont suffer to long? As a general rule, the first thing to do in a case like this is to check the ISKCON Minimum Cow Protection Standards. These are on page 51 of the Cow Protection book -- which every ISKCON farm should have a copy of. If you don't have a copy, then they are available on ISCOWP's website. Standards applying to this particular case are found on page 52: 6) Death a) A dying cow should be kept as comfortable as possible and given as much association and transcendental sound vibration as possible. There should be access to water and food. Beyond that, I leave it to others to make additional suggestions -- but the general rule is: "Always start with the ISKCON Minimum Cow Protection Standards." Here's wishing you the best for your difficult task. ys hkdd > > I'm sure there are many possibilities. But what is best? What did > you do in > such a case? > > Haribol, your servant, Hari Kirtan dasa > > ----------------------- > To from this mailing list, send an email to: > Cow-Owner (AT) pamho (DOT) net > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Dasi Prabhu Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. It is not my service. Read my letter again. I clearly write; I just visited Radhadesh last weekend...etc I did take care of the cows there some years ago. The cow is a mix of belgium beef and holstein. she has been down for almost 3 weeks already I wrote to the cow conference hoping to get some practical experience stories to forward to the devotee taking care of the cow because he wont listen to my advice. at the moment she gets hay and water and this pressed alfalfa pellets or something like that. So she will stay strong and suffer long. thanks anyway Haribol, your servant, Hari Kirtan dasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Dear Hari Kirtan Prabhu, PAMHO, AGTSP, I was just reviewing this string of messages and noticed twice a reference to giving the cow feed or not. I believe your concern is that by giving it feed it will live longer and thus suffer more. But what other option does a devotee have? If one were to withdraw its option to take food, then its disease is no longer the cause of death -- the care taker would be the cause of death due to neglect. Trust the cow to know when to give up its life. I have taken care of several cows as they passed on and each one will, at some point, begin fasting on its own, when it is ready to give up its fight. I do understand that you are not the one taking care of the cow personally. However, it is very important that all who are involved understand that Vaisnavas do not euthanize, by starvation or any other means. Trust me, I have often wished we could, but death and suffering are a "given" with these material bodies. We simply need to comfort that soul and let it know that we care are willing to stand by its side and provide whatever comfort we can. If it has an appetite, we must provide sustenance, otherwise we become the cause of death and incur sin. The cow will know when to give up. Some cows are fighters. I saw a Jersey in NV that would not give up -- for several weeks. We were unable to clean under her, week after week and we were daily cleaning the maggots off of her and trying to scrape them out from under her. She was suffering like anything, but we never considered starving her to reduce suffering and hasten her death. Any non-devotee would have condemned us for not shooting her and putting her out of her misery. But this simply is not an option for devotees. We accept the natural course of events as the Lord as created them: birth, old age, disease and death. If we or the cow accept this contract, we must fulfill all aspects of it. To do otherwise will only postpone that our or that animal's suffering and forward it to another birth and death in the future. What is being suggested is death by starvation; the cow will begin to fast on its own once it gives up its fight to remain alive. ys, Gopal dasa In a message dated 2/23/2004 7:01:11 AM Central Standard Time, Hari.Kirtan.JDG (AT) pamho (DOT) net writes: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Dasi Prabhu Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. It is not my service. Read my letter again. I clearly write; I just visited Radhadesh last weekend...etc I did take care of the cows there some years ago. The cow is a mix of belgium beef and holstein. she has been down for almost 3 weeks already I wrote to the cow conference hoping to get some practical experience stories to forward to the devotee taking care of the cow because he wont listen to my advice. at the moment she gets hay and water and this pressed alfalfa pellets or something like that. So she will stay strong and suffer long. thanks anyway Haribol, your servant, Hari Kirtan dasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Ann Fletcher ann (AT) aucklandinsulation (DOT) co.nz - "Ann Fletcher" <ann (AT) akn (DOT) quik.co.nz> "Hari Kirtan JDG" <Hari.Kirtan.JDG (AT) pamho (DOT) net> Cc: "ISCOWP (Balabhadra Dasa & Chaya Dasi - USA)" <ISCOWP (AT) pamho (DOT) net> Monday, February 23, 2004 9:38 PM Re: dying cow > Hare Krsna Prabhu, > I am often in the same situation as our herd gets older. I have nursed a > bullock and a cow to their departure within the last 2 months. It has been > my service over the last 20 years and I have experienced many difficult > situations. I guess the hardest thing for us to work with is seeing our > beloved cows and bullocks who have given years of service "go down" and > seemingly suffer. For what it is worth, here is the general formula that we > work with. - of course within the minimum standards. > > Make sure she is as comfortable as possible and confirm in your own heart > that she is "down for the count" > Make sure she is out of sight and range of non devotees. - They simply dont > understand our philosophy and you can get into problems with local > authorities. > Over time you will get to know which of your cows sits on a particular side. > Often as they get older, they will always sit on one side only as they tend > to "go " in their hips and if accidentally sit down on the other side, can > become cast. If she is up on her front but not her back legs, then try and > roll her.You need 4 people depending on her size. One for each back leg, > one for her front legs and one to lift her head so her horns dont get > caught. Then you simply roll her over slowly all together. Look carefully at > her hips and stomach before and after to see if she looks more like she has > been always on one side or the other. It is a good idea to roll them when > down anyway as this helps with air movement and sores developing. > Spray her with some sort of pyrethrum anti fly guard so the flies arent an > issue. Use a damp cloth to wipe her eyes and nose. Keep any stool away asap > to keep the flies away. Now here comes the contentious issue. If she wont > eat, then dont force it. Dont allow devotees to try to feed her and stuff > prasadam in her mouth. If she cant get up to eat, then you are only > prolonging her suffering. this goes the same for water. I've seen over the > years if they are down, I only give them alittle to moisten their mouth or > caranamrta. One year a devotee kept coming in and sticking a hose in a bulls > mouth when I wasnt there. He suffered for 9 days. Generally once they are > down, they leave within 3 days. > > So generally we make sure they have a maha garland on, ask a pujari to get a > maha Tulasi leaf from the deities lotus feet and place it in her mouth. Give > her caranamrta and of course encouage the devotees to visit her and chant. > If she is out in the hot sun, an idea is one we recently purchased asort of > pop up gazebo type tent that keeps the sun/rain off. (It has no sides). If > she is out in the cold, put a cover over her. you will need to tend to her > several times in a day as she will prpbably thrash around abit at first. > Make sure if any young bhaktas or bhaktines come, that they are clear as to > what is happening. After all, we are all going to go through this at the end > of our life and need to face death.. I know how it is for you prabhu, just > pray to Krsna to let her go soon. > > As a matter of interest, I have kept a detailed folder over the years and > found a definate pattern of various breeds living different lengths of time. > Keep a diary and it will help you in years to come to refer back to it. > > So bottom line. As worded in the cow protection standards, Food and water > should be available. > (So this means dont force it into her) > As a matter of interest, how old is she, what breed is she? > Hope this helps, any further queries, just email and I/we can try to help. > It is a difficult and surrendered service you are performing. Good luck and > may Krsna help you. > your servant > Ananta Krsna Dasi. > > ann (AT) aucklandinsulation (DOT) co.nz > - > "Hari Kirtan JDG" <Hari.Kirtan.JDG (AT) pamho (DOT) net> > "Cow (Protection and related issues)" <Cow (AT) pamho (DOT) net> > Monday, February 23, 2004 10:17 AM > dying cow > > > > Hare Krsna Prabhus > > Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. > > > > I just visited Radhadesh this weekend. There where since a few years only > > two cows left. Gaura Mata and her daughter Nandi. A few weeks ago they > laid > > down in the stable and couldn't get up anymore. Gaura Mata died last week. > > Nandi is still living. She can sit up on her front legs but cant get her > > back legs up anymore. > > So now my question is what is best to do in such a case? > > -give her a lot of food so she stays strong? > > -or just water and a little hay? > > -or only water so she will die quickly and dont suffer to long? > > > > I'm sure there are many possibilities. But what is best? What did you do > in > > such a case? > > > > Haribol, your servant, Hari Kirtan dasa > > > > ----------------------- > > To from this mailing list, send an email to: > > Cow-Owner (AT) pamho (DOT) net > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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