Mason’s Memorial

HOLSTEIN BULL

• From: California

• Adopted: May 25, 2019

• Crossed the Rainbow Bridge: March 29, 2021

With profound sadness in our hearts, we are letting you know that Mason passed away in his pasture on Sunday night/ early Monday morning.

We have lost so much since the fire in August and now with Mason gone... it is a tremendous and heartbreaking loss for us.

Mason was our first and only Holstein steer. We had absolutely no prior experience in rescuing one, but after seeing him so emaciated and in a neglected state, we agreed to take Mason in. And on May 25, 2019, our friend Jim transported Mason for us to our (old) ranch.

Gigantic. Humongous. Enormous. Massive. Mason was a big boy. He towered over our 16.3H Hanoverian but he was truly a gentle giant.

Initially, Mason ate nearly 100 pounds of hay (an entire bale) a day. And along with cattle grain, he cost us about $25 a day to feed. We could not have done it without your support.

Within weeks, we could see all of our feeding efforts were paying off. We soon discovered that he loved all things carbs... all types of bread, pastries and donuts... Mason devoured in seconds.

Eventually, we moved Mason to a larger pen, closer to the horses and farther away from the pigs and other small animals. He broke out several times, so he could be next to his small buddies, as the horses scared him.

Mason truly was a gentle giant. He would let out a loud 'moo' if he saw us feeding the other animals. He could have easily broken through any of our fencing, but he always patiently waited for his portion.

We miss seeing him in his pen. It is so empty without him.

But we grateful that he made it to our new home. He could have perished in the fire. He nearly skewered himself at our evac site. But with a livestock trailer lined with 2 dozen donuts, Mason easily loaded for us and he lived at our new home for six months.

Mason was about 10 years old and apparently, that's pretty old for a Holstein. He was with us for only 22 months, but our many tears fall as if we had him his entire life.