A woman has left her job in the city behind to care for some rescue cows who were destined for slaughter.
The woman known as Ainslie, grew up surrounded by large animals and decided to go back to the countryside to start her own farm where she spoils the cows with good food and care. She says she now has two cows at her farm in Sydney, Australia named Moo Jackman and Kim Kowdashian.
‘I grew up on a little property with my family and we had a lot of animals,’ she recalls.
‘As I got older, I ended up moving to the city, but always missed having large animals like horses and cows.
‘It was always a dream to own a small hobby farm so I could have a herd of my own, particularly rescue cows.’
Her first one was Moo, who Ainslie took in from another woman who’d rescued a group of calves before she got Kim Kowdashian, from a local dairy farmer.
‘Because the calves are so young and not getting their much-needed mother’s milk, they can be very hard to keep alive,’ explained Ainslie.
‘Moo Jackman was very sick for the first five weeks I had him. He was scouring very badly and needed treatment. It was very stressful.
‘Kim Kowdashian on the other hand was a little trooper, and very easy to care for. A lot of rescue calves, unfortunately, don’t make it.
‘Moo Jackman was quite sick when I first got him I didn’t want to get another calf friend for him straight away, as I wanted to make sure I could keep him alive and wouldn’t pass anything on to another calf.
‘He ended up being brought up with my miniature horses. They didn’t like him at first, but they slowly accepted him into the herd, even though they found him very annoying.’
Kim Kowdashian
Now, both cows on the farm are enjoying life according to Ainslie.
‘I was keen to give these guys the best life possible,’ said Ainslie. ‘I guess you could say they’re definitely not like normal cows.
‘They get lots of treats and toys to keep them entertained, and they sleep in a stable at night on a bed of sawdust. They’re very pampered cows!
Ainslie adds that they consider her a fellow cow, so try to play and push her around with their heads – like they do with each other.
She added: ‘They also rub their heads on each other to show affection.
‘If I sit down in the paddock, they’ll often come up and lie down right next to me. I think they consider me part of the herd.
‘Cows, if well-handled, are basically like giant puppy dogs. Think golden retriever or Labrador-type puppies.
‘They are so affectionate, playful, and very entertaining. They are also great at mowing your grass.
‘Watching the videos I take of them makes me happy. I also hope it might really encourage more people to rescue cows.’
