Our cow herd lives on our 15 acre pasture overlooking the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and have the best spot on the farm. The herd consists of 4 cows and 3 steers, and they are a big happy family.

Bart and Julius are our Holstein steers that were saved from a cruel fate at the hands of the dairy industry. Because they don’t produce milk and are therefore not “useful”, male babies born on dairy farms are either sold for veal or killed very young. These two boys were scooped up just in time and raised on a horse rescue for the first year of their life. They had a lot of fun being horses for a while, but it was clear that they needed more of a cow life with a herd, and so in the summer of 2024 they came to live here at BRRB. They are incredibly large at almost 2,000 pounds, and need a considerable amount of space to graze and roam. Without sanctuary, these boys would not have made it past a few months old. They are deserving of so much more, and we are grateful to ensure they live a long and happy life with their herd mates, and an unbeatable view!

The rest of the herd is made up of 4 cows and a steer, and their breed is a combination of Belted Galloway and Guernsey. Their former owner found herself in a difficult situation and needed placement immediately. She had raised these cows as pets, but as she aged she was no longer able to care for them herself. She moved them onto another cattle farm and thought they would remain there safely, until the owner of that property told her they could not keep them, and would have to sell them at a stock yard if she didn’t come to get them. Thus the urgency of her call. We were thrilled to accept all 5, and commit to keeping them together as a family, for life. Two of the cows had just had babies, and we were so happy to keep them together forever. Without sanctuary for this family, they would all be separated, sold off, and likely killed. What a tragic ending for a sweet family who had only ever known life together.

The herd of 7 is a very close knit group that spends their days close together, grazing the hillside, grooming each other, and offering us hugs and scratchy licks. They would love to meet you!