“Do you remember which cow charged me?” I asked husband Bruce.
“It was a red one,” he said.
When we started raising cattle, keeping track of individuals in our 50-head herd was essential. Calves, though adorable, looked alike. Unlike their mothers, I couldn’t tell them apart, so we gave each one an ear tag.
Identification was vital when I had to make tough decisions about difficult animals — like that charging cow. The thought of anyone getting hurt on my farm worried me. So an aggressive cow or one that constantly jumped fences (yes, cows can jump!) would have to go into the beef program. The calm, gentle souls stayed, and some became “ambassador animals” who brought joy to farm visitors.
So we assigned numbers and put ear tags on each bovine. The tags didn’t bother the animals and made identification easy. Problem solved — almost.
However, numbers are hard to remember. So we started naming each animal and putting its name on the tag. “Joe is off his feed” is easier to remember than “Number 26 is off his feed.” When I think of my husband Bruce, his name conjures up warmth, kindness and the comfort of shared laughter and hot tea on sick days. If he were just “416,” that spark — the essence of who he is — would be lost. Names matter.
And there’s scientific proof that cows benefit from human interaction. Studies have shown that cattle accustomed to positive human interaction are less stressed. Even something as simple as talking softly, touching gently, and, I believe, calling them by name makes them safer to handle.
Dale Carnegie wrote in “How to Win Friends and Influence People”: “A person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Yes, people light up at the sound of their names. I know cattle are not people, but the similarities are many. So, when I greet my cattle, I use their names. It makes every interaction meaningful. If I forget a name, I check the ear tag to get it right.
Ear tags would be handy for people, too. If I were the first to get one, I’d hear the music of my own name more often — all over town.
Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm (www.milessmithfarm.com), where she
coaches cows to be their best selves. She can be reached at carole@soulecoaching.com.
You can schedule an appointment to meet her cattle at the Ultimate Cow Experience.