Animals of Farm Sanctuary

Blue: He Came in Like A Wrecking Ball

If you read yesterday’s post, you will know that Blue is the son of Willow, the likely younger brother of Ashley, and a member of the Butler County herd of cattle who arrived at our New York Shelter in 2004. Blue was not visible at that time because he was actually inside his mother just waiting to make a big entrance! (This post will require some imagination, since we were using film cameras at the time and no cellphones with cameras — so much of their lives when they first arrived was sadly not recorded. But we will never forget it!)

Blue’s beautiful, very elderly mother Willow with her buddy Celeste (who was carrying Juliet at the time).

Blue’s mother Willow and her family were adopted into a loving home, and Blue was born there. But the mini-herd returned to Farm Sanctuary when we learned that the family who’d adopted them had run into issues that made it impossible for them to afford to keep their cattle friends. By this time, Blue was a young bull — or a young wrecking ball. You could just look at him and see his power, starting with his very large, wrecking-ball-sized head. When Blue arrived, he was all bull, and he even acted very bull like for six months after his neuter.

I came in like a wrecking ball. Baaahaahaa

He grew up with his same-age pals, including Ashley’s beautiful son Julio — who became Blue’s very best friend and and fellow wreaker of havoc. (I know, I know — wreaker is not a word, but you get it). If Miley Cyrus’ song “Wrecking Ball” had been around at the time, it would have been Blue and Julio’s theme song (and it is the song I am playing on a loop as I write this post).

Dreaming of all the work he had done thus far, and all he was still to accomplish. 

You see, young Blue was a pioneer — smashing through anything that he felt was in his way. Blue altered the course of Farm Sanctuary in two very significant ways: He forced us to change the way we handle the cattle, as well as the type of fencing we use for them and how it is installed.

Blue’s best friend Julio. Although he looks tiny in photos, he was a very powerful boy — and he also came in like a wrecking ball.  

After the boys’ arrival, the dry erase board on the wall in our original hospital building (the white house) displayed the following message: IT HAS BEEN ____ DAYS SINCE THE BUTLER COUNTY CATTLE GOT OUT. The number was always zero.

The family — or some of them — with Julio behind (back right corner). You can see he was much more muscular and large than the tiny girls.  

The first fences were definitely based on a misjudgment of their ability and desire to destroy the flimsy electric wire that, at the time, held our very docile cattle in. They did, on occasion, break out to go to another pasture (where, of course, the grass is always greener) — but very rarely. And Blue and Julio didn’t just want the green grass — they wanted adventure.

A young Blue with Ashley and an almost-visible Julio to the right.  

So once it was evident that flimsy wire was not enough, we moved the boys to our sheep pastures with their four-foot-high, tightly strung, woven wire, no-climb fencing. This fencing is not only super-sturdy, but also super-expensive, and within 24 hours of their moving onto the first pasture, there was a breach. 

Well, not a breach, really; that is inaccurate. They smashed the fence. I liked to call it the jump-and-smash, where their powerful short legs somehow projected their very round, muscled bodies up on top of the fence, which with the force of their weight would crush and even snap. And once they were out, they thought they were so funny! Bucking and kicking and looking for trouble — it did bring a chuckle, but it also became a bit ridiculous.

And it also got a bit scary — because with hunting season upon us and our property surrounded by forest (where they were always going) and tree stands, they were not safe when they escaped. (They also loved to get into the road.) Getting out of fencing and into another pasture is not a big issue — the issue is that they might next try to go into the road, run through a farm with visitors (including children), or get in with smaller animals like baby goats or lambs, who could easily be killed by the playful, running freight trains that these two boys were. Fencing is more about keeping the animals safe so they don’t get hurt. (And of course, in this case, it is also about the staff members who had to attempt to turn that freight train around.)

This fence does not work — not even a little

So after weeks of fixing fencing, reinforcing fencing, putting up higher fencing (a five-foot fence, which they just butted until they broke through it — HA!), we put up woven-wire, high-tensile electric fence, which shockingly (no pun intended) they never even had to touch to know not to challenge. We had always assumed that we wouldn’t have to use this type of fencing, but these boys proved that theory wrong, and so for the safety of everyone on the farm (including the wrecking balls), the fence was installed in all of our cattle areas.  

Blue lying with new fence behind him. You cannot see it, since it is wire, but it is definitely there. 

Blue has had no issues with the new fence; the humanimals are the only ones who seem to have problems not touching it. Every time I accidentally grab it, or a chain that is touching it, I thank Blue for his contribution to our farm.

The old fencing visible in the background is for someone else’s pasture, but the new and improved Blue has no time for fence-breaking. 

Blue’s next contribution (again, along with best pal Julio) was to our use of a chute system. Their powerful strength and very strong will led to our vet refusing to treat them if we did not have a proper handling system. We first gated them to give injections; they did not feel this was appropriate, so they just smashed the gates. We had a wooden chute that we used with our main cattle herd, but that really did not seem to work on these two guys either — they took it out during their first trip through.

After multiple smashed gates (heavy-duty metal gates), the professional chute system was ordered. It made our lives so easy and was likely the best contribution that Blue has ever made. The cattle can easily and quickly be run into the system to have full health checks, blood work, and even fly treatments without stress, and they go in as a herd. It is magical.  

Magical chute system: In and out and no one gets hurt. Unlike chutes used in the meat industry, this chute will only be used to keep the cows safe. 

And now that all of these changes have been made, Blue has slowed down. He grew into a huge 2,500-pound steer, and without his partner in crime (Julio passed away as a result of congenital issues in his legs), he has turned to a more mellow life with older friends (like Clayton). If he were a person, it would be like going from bar-room brawls to quiet wine tastings by the lake. He is one mellow dude.

Wine-tasting buddy Clayton, who turns 16 this year. This is Blue’s mellow pal. 

His biggest destruction now is to the trees — which he uses to scratch off his loose winter coat. Snapping branches is now the height of his wrecking-ball behavior. He, like Ashley, is also a family man; he has never left the side of his girls Gidget, Mary Lou, and Elsie Mae, along with new friend Clayton and some others, including Maxine. He is now a gentle giant — and although he is mellow, he is not a huge fan of humanimals (but he will tolerate us). He will even let us brush him when he is in the mood. 

Hanging with Susie and Sally cows back in the day. Still young and a bit nutty, but relaxing for the photo. 

And like Ashley, he has the foghorn voice that carries across the pastures and keeps him with his people. Being able to see this amazing family and their long-term relationships with each other is such a gift.

So thank you, Miley Cyrus, for retroactively creating his theme song (and for being vegan). Our cattle are huge fans, and all really in some way can relate to the line “I came in like a wrecking ball.” Plus, there are other things about the cattle that make us think they are fans…

Miley fan Lawrence steer.

Please share Blue’s story. Together, we can encourage awareness and understanding about the deep emotional lives of cattle and the loving family bonds they share when they are given the chance. With your support, we can continue to promote compassionate vegan living through rescue, education, and advocacy efforts. A compassionate world begins with you!