🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <taquilla.1239255977I@news.erols.com>, Tracy Aquilla
<taquilla@erols.com> writes

>In Article <34F9E47D.2B3E5378@erols.com>, Rex Harrill <brixman@erols.com> 
>wrote:
>>Tracy Aquilla wrote: [snip]

>>Gotta' call you, Tracy.  I was in a new Holstein diary facility 2 years ago
>>that is held out as a model operation in Pennsylvania.  During the tour I
>>noticed that all the cows had their tails cut off.
>
>So what's your point? You have yet to refute the assertion. The fact that
>some farmers may prefer to use such sanitary practices is irrelevant - the
>animals are nevertheless treated like pets in any case, and given the utmost
>attention and care.

Had their tails cut off where? Do you mean at the end of the spine, so
they had no tail at all, or do you mean the hairs at the end?

It is usual at certain times of the year (particularly on starting
spring grass) to cut off most of the hair on the end of the tail. 

Due to the laxative nature of spring grass the dung tends to come out
rather loose and, propelled by a plentiful supply of gasses under
enormous pressure, emanates as a horizontal noxious jet for some
considerable distance. Now the cow tends not to elevate her tail quite
adequately to clear this explosive discharge and this results in dung on
the tail. Where it dries. Each discharge adds a layer. It builds
up........
In fact it builds up a lot. The net result is that the cow ends up with
a ball of hardened dung, varying from lots of balls about 2" across to
one big ball 6" across. 

Now this makes it impossible for the cow to swat flies and is probably
enough to cause dislocation of the tail vertebrae due to recoil effects
resulting in it's being a problem under the 'health and welfare of
cattle' regulations. It's also a lethal weapon under the human Health
and Safety regulations because if a cow attempts to swat a fly in the
milking parlour this reults in a 6" ball of hardened dung with the
consistency of teak whistling about the head of the milker. This is more
than capable of knocking him to the ground and causing hime grevious
bodily harm. You can imagine that a milking parlour with twenty or so
animals in it would make a veteran of an SAS training course quake with
abject terror.

So there might have been a good reason for cutting the tailhairs off of
the cows. 

-- 
Oz