Help Bring Brahman Cows and Oxen to ISCOWP!

May 7, 2008

Dear Friends,

Hare Krishna!

In honor of our first ox team, Vraja and Gita, passing away, ISCOWP has arranged for a new Brahman ox team to come to the ISCOWP farm. Your help is needed to acquire them and name them!

We have found a breeder of registered Brahman cows whose family has been breeding them for three generations. Bill Fenn handles his cows as if they are members of his family. He is excited to help us find two bull calves equal in size and temperament who would give us a matched pair for our new ox team. Actually, Bill Fenn just notified us that a matched pair, pictured above, was born a few weeks ago and they would be available to be picked up in August.

Bill Fenn also has  two female calves that he would also be willing to sell. You can see how beautiful they can become by viewing two of Bill’s heifers on the back page of this newsletter. Altogether, that would make four Brahman animals that we could acquire in August.

Why Brahman animals? According to the Ayurvedas, which is the section of the Vedas concerning medicine, there is a nerve in the hump on the back of Brahman cows that draws energy from the sun into the cow’s body and converts it to potent urine and dung full of medicinal qualities. We would like to make medicines from these cows’ dung and urine to help support cow protection and show another way that the cow is useful other than for supplying milk. This would be a first in North America although a widespread practice in India.

There are other characteristics of Brahman cows that make them a good choice for us as explained at:      http://www.brahman.org/brahmaninformation.html

“A factor which contributes to the Brahman's unique ability to withstand temperature extremes is a short, thick, glossy hair coat which reflects much of the sun's rays, allowing them to graze in midday sun without suffering. In severe winters, Brahmans grow a protective covering of long, coarse hair beneath which a dense, downy, fur-like undercoat can be found. An abundance of loose skin, characteristic of the breed, also aids in its ability to withstand warm weather by increasing the body surface area exposed to cooling. In cold weather the skin is contracted, increasing the thickness of the hide and density of the hair, which aids in retaining body heat. A special feature of the Brahman breed is their ability over other breeds to sweat freely, which contributes greatly to their heat tolerance.

Brahmans are recognized for intelligence and desired disposition. They are very responsive to kindness and are quite gentle when handled properly.”

These characteristics are especially good for an ox team. Often Vraja and Gita, Brown Swiss, would find the summers too hot to work during most of the day. Their breathing would become labored quickly. Therefore, Balabhadra could only work them at the coolest parts of the day. Even then, the summer heat was often too much. 

Here is a letter from Bill Fenn who is located near Houston, Texas, 2,800 miles round trip from ISCOWP.

I too enjoyed visiting with you last night. Thanks for the great photos! I didn't tell you that I am kind of particular about who I sell my cattle too because I need to know that they will be going to a good home. Everyone who has my cattle loves them. We could tell right off that they would be in good hands with you. Now have no doubts that yours is the best home (away from my home) that they could hope for. You don't know how happy I would be to see a pair of my guys working together with you. I am glad to know you and will stay in touch. I am always excited about new babies, but I'm hoping for a special pair for you.

We are excited about the rejuvenation of the herd and we hope you are too. Our barns and land can comfortably support 26 animals, which is the number we have usually had throughout the years. At present, we have nineteen, because many of them have passed away due to their aging bodies. Most of the herd is 12 to 15 years old. In the next five to seven years, many of them will have passed on.  Therefore, it is time to seriously plan for the herd’s future.

We started our herd with Vraja and Gita, who were saved from the slaughterhouse, and mostly ISKCON New Vrindavan’s cows, because at that time their cow protection program was overcrowded. The arrangement was that New Vrindavan would provide for feed and medical expenses, and we would provide the personal care.  In the last two years, we have not received payment for medical expenses.

At this point, New Vrindavan’s herd is not overcrowded and we feel a strong desire to show a more self-sufficient working program of cow protection. Therefore, the acquisition of animals that can help us achieve that goal. We will still take in rescue animals as we have the ability.

With this acquisition of Brahman animals, we will have the ability to make potent medicines and have a working team for the farm who can also once again travel and exemplify the benefits of cow protection.  Whatever you can give towards this rejuvenation will be greatly appreciated.

Each of the four donors with the largest donation will get to name one of the four animals, and we will all get to watch them grow and enjoy their pastimes as protected cows.

In our first announcement to our monthly donors about the expense of acquiring the animals, the rental of a truck to transport the animals to our farm was included. In the meantime, we have bought a second-hand truck and are paying for it with monthly payments. It is in excellent condition and will do the job of transporting the animals from Texas and in the future taking the ox team to events to show the benefits of cow protection. We bought the truck for  $5,400 with $190 as monthly payments.

Here is what it would take to acquire the new animals. You, our donors, have already paid for preliminary trip to breeder. Due to fluctuating gas prices, we are presenting a sliding scale for travel. It will take two people to bring them to the ISCOWP farm.

New Brahman Animals

Two bull calves                        $2,000.00

Two heifers                                 2,000.00          

Medical clearance                         400.00

Gas for truck                   560.00 - 700.00

Food for trip                                  120.00

 Sub-total                                    5,220.00

It would be great to pay off the truck      

                                                      5,400.00

TOTAL                                   $10,400.00

Thank you       

Check out this link to learn  how you can help.

Thanking you in advance,

Balabhadra and Chayadevi

(William E. Dove and Irene M. Dove)

ISCOWP Managing Directors