Sad story out of Wisconsin...

[Archae]

Looks like these farm owners simply got in over their heads.

Over 80 dead calves found on 2 Kenosha County farms

BRIGHTON, Wis. (AP) — The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office says it’s investigating potential animal abuse on two farms where over 80 dead calves have been found amid deplorable conditions.

A sheriff’s office statement Saturday says deputies found at least 52 dead calves on a farm in Brighton Township on Friday afternoon. Fifteen live calves were moved from the property to a safe location.

Investigators later discovered at least 30 dead calves at a second farm owned by the same family, in Paris Township. At least 100 live cattle there were put under a veterinarian’s care.

The statement says the cause of the animal deaths has not been determined, and may have been due to disease, but investigators found evidence of neglect and long-term deplorable conditions.

http://wbay.com/2015/05/23/over-80-dead-calves-found-on-2-kenosha-county-farms/

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Many years ago and much further north in the state,

a farmer left his cows in the stanchions after the evening milking and started drinking. It ended with him going on a week-long binge, and all his cattle died where they stood in their stanchions in the barn. This was about 1950 or '55, and the story has always haunted me.

[Archae]

2. Yeesh, that is really awful.

Some people just aren't cut out to be farmers.

My Dad tried his hand at farming, he got out and sold his farm after a few years.

Delivered fuel oil instead, made a comfortable living.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. My grandfather, who emigrated from Denmark as a small child,

pretty much hated farming & did all kinds of stuff to avoid it, like learning blacksmithing & carpentry & logging. He ended up building wooden rowboats for the resort trade before WWII. My dad inherited the business & I grew up with woodworking tools in my hands. One day I counted my father's fingers, came up with a number short of 10, and decided maybe I would look into other trades.

Now, of course, I have a full hobby workshop with table saw, band saw, planer, jointer--the whole bunch of stuff I ran away from as a kid.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. The fellow you mentioned lived about two miles south of us.

When he stared drinking,you just stayed away,one mean son of a gun. His brother cleaned up the mess and took over that farm. About a month before this,he rolled his pick up on our driveway approach,dumped his load of feed and he was thrown out onto the lawn. Totally wasted,other than grass stains,no injuries. Ironic as it seems,his wife left him shortly after the wreck,and his brother bailed out about the same time.

[Jackpine Radical]

6. John & Vince, right?

Vince had a small sawmill & lumber operation. We used to sometimes buy white oak from him. John was the drunk (although Vince was no teetotaller). Their father ran a small still in the woods during Prohibition & sold to Al Capone. Vince told me about meeting Capone.

Jeez, I wonder if WE know each other in RL.

[Wellstone ruled]

8. Scary thought,

left the area mid fifties.

[Jackpine Radical]

9. I went to Wheeler School, just a few miles from County K & the rez.

[Wellstone ruled]

10. The one I remember was south of TL,

1956,forgot about the one near your Hometown. This guy had 20 or so Cows and a hand full of calves that had to be destroyed. What a pathetic mess.

[Wellstone ruled]

11. Remember my Dad buying lumber in 1951

from those fellows. Seems to me that farm was a real hot mess. Sad to say,this other indecent was only about 35 miles north west of your area .

[Arkansas Granny]

4. We had cows, chickens and rabbits when I was growing up. My Dad impressed on all of us

that we were totally responsible for the animals in our care and we took care of their needs first. Before we sat down to a meal, the stock had been fed and watered. If the weather was getting bad, you made sure that shelter was available. Stories like this make me ill.

[kentuck]

7. That is bad news.