Meet the Cows

Buddy came to Sunrise as an almost 2 year old steer in 2021. Buddy's mother was unable to care for him at birth so he was bottle fed and raised by a wonderful lady who loved him very much and didn't want him to go to slaughter.  We arrived at Buddy's farm in eastern Kentucky on a very early Saturday and just as we started the journey home, the sun began to rise over the Kentucky hills. It was symbolic of his future and forever home at Sunrise. Buddy fit in immediately and became fast friends with Rowan, who greeted Buddy upon arrival. The two are almost always together. Buddy is laid back and enjoys his days roaming the pasture and grazing with all his animal friends.

Jackson came from Denver, Indiana from a very bad situation at the end of 2021 when he was just a baby. His rescuer nursed him back to health but without the means to take care of a cow. We thought he would make a great companion for Lily.  Now Jackson spends his days with Lily Moo, Wooly Bully, and Danica. He loves people, he even tried to sit in the front seat of our transit on his freedom ride, home. He adores kisses and cuddles and has become the star of our Open Barn Days. 

Rowan came to us in March of 2017 from a family member of a cattle farmer who had passed away. Her family wouldn't let her save all the members of the herd, but as Rowan was bottle fed, they agreed to let her save him. She contacted us and his story touched our hearts and as a result Rowan came home to Sunrise. Rowan is a very sweet soul and loves his brothers Buddy and Cowabunga very much!

Cowabunga is a handsome young steer that came to Sunrise in the Spring of 2022 when he was 2 years old. He was originally meant to be a young girls 4h cow, but with covid, they were unable to show him. His owner fell in love with him, but wanted more for him. He’s a young steer who needs cow companionship and room to run and play. He had horse friends, but he needed cow friends as well.

With the promise that no other animals would be purchased for 4h we agreed to take him.  Since arriving Cowabunga has quickly bonded with Buddy and Rowan. He often spends time alone, but loves the freedom to roam.

Lily Moo is a young Holstein that came to Sunrise in the summer of 2021 when she was just a few months old. She had a rough start to life born on a Iowa university dairy farm with Hydrocephalus. When she came to Sunrise she was mostly blind, anemic, and had a systemic infection putting her life in great danger. She was so emaciated she could barely stand.  She needed lots of love and a specialized care plan devised by our vets at OSU but is now healthy and living her best life with her herd. Lily Moo is very affectionate coming up to volunteers for pets and attention. Everyone immediately falls in love with her and her sweet demeanor!

Wooly Bully came to Sunrise in 2019 after his human guardians passed away. They rescued Wooly after they discovered a local farmer was planning on ending his life. When they passed, within 14 months of each other, their son became Wooly's guardian. Not living locally he would come visit Wooly every week and he even hired someone to check on him and keep him well fed. When the farm eventually sold, Wooly needed a new place to live. His guardian wanted Wooly to have the best life possible and other animal companions. His situation was brought to Sunrise's attention and Sunrise became his loving home. How could we turn this sweet boy away? When he first came to Sunrise, he lived with our resident pigs, but has since moved to our new pasture where he has his own herd. He is now around 13 years old and spends his days affectionately referred to as Papa Wooly with Lily Moo and Jackson. He has loved these sweet calves since they first came to Sunrise and they have made their own adorable family.