Pirate Cow…

I had never heard of eye patches for cows so imagine my surprise when I saw this lovely lady grazing in a private paddock with a rough set of barns and stalls.

PirateCow

From a distance I thought she just black markings around her eye, but as I drew closer I saw she was indeed a Pirate Cow.

I called her Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean!

Here she grazes for the moment under plenty of shade, alone.

Perhaps she ran into a branch.

Maybe she got in a fight over a pint (of milk).

Possibly she has amblyopia strabismus like my PerriPoppins daughter, and has to wear a patch to strengthen her weak eye.

Whatever the reason the large patch over her right eye suits her very well,

for a Pirate Cow.

When I approach she turns her good eye to me and stares while chewing the cud.

At once elegant and curious.

I asked my mentor and know it all Google about eye patches on cows and discovered my Sparrow had pink eye.

Very contagious in cows and aggravated by lots of rain (which we’ve been having), humidity (sticky is what it’s all about) and prolific swarms of flies that settle around the eyes and spread the disease through the herd.

As a preventative precaution some farmers use full cow and calf eye coverings to keep their peepers in the shade and protect them from head flies but I’ve yet to see a herd of cows wearing beauty masks,

Mother Earth News

Mother Earth News

This morning I startled my cow as I approached from her blind side,

Alarmed she stood and promptly pooped,

PirateCow3

but the pirate patch looks good doesn’t it?

Imagine stalling all those infected cows, they prefer to be outside roaming the meadow and chewing the cud, not cooped up in a barn and think of all that manure scooping some poor farm hand would have to do!

Go to Mother Earth News to read the whole story.

Ooh Arr!

 

 

Share this:

No comments so far!

Leave a Comment