06/07/2026
This definitely hurts. This post is one that I would always dread on making. But I think itās important to share knowledge and recognise the hardships of what farm life brings.
We sadly watched our beautiful, Raine of Thistle Lea NZ 8773 earn her wings in the early hours of this morningšŖ½
We didnāt sleep a wink at all in fear of having her slip through our fingers. Heartbroken after finding her and being inquisitive on what caused this tragedy to happen, I decided to undergo a quick autopsy. What we found was astonishing, Raine had a tough fatty (bone-like) tumour growing in her stomach right through to her re**um, which caused obstruction to her twisted bowel and built up lots of pressure over time. Not only that, she was also carrying her 6 month old foetus on the side and with more research on her symptoms, we found that there is no cure or further prevention.
Mother nature is such a b**h. But sometimes no matter how hard you try to help a beloved family pet, itās best to provide as much medical attention to help comfort and spend time with them while you have them, so thatās exactly what we did.
For those that donāt know, Raine of Thistle Lea was one of our first born calves, who taught me a lot about patience and falling more in love with the breed, when starting my fold. Sheās super special to me and become the most memorable highland, who always got herself involved with our fold visits, being a constant pat hound, a photogenic queen for the annual calendars (always showing a big smile) and representing our fold on the world virtual stage. She proudly brought in 3 Marshall calves, who all share her headstrong spirit and unconditional love for constant attention. So Iām happy to say her legacy still lives on.
Words canāt describe how grateful I am to have made many memories and spend heaps of time with you. Miss you so much already Rainy. Love you boss !! X