We originally came across Ferdie at a pre-sales ordering on a Facebook group back in November 2014. Ferdinand is a pure-breed Cika bull, organic and grass-fed, his life so far had been to make beautiful babies for the milk and meat industry. And, at almost three years old, his use was fulfilled, so he was being sold for 300kg of meat. (Ferdinand weighs about 800kg – you do the math for the ‘extra’). We felt like we could do something to help stop him being slaughtered. And we could! We gathered donations online from a host of wonderful people who felt there was an alternative to allowing him to be killed, raising 900 euros. But it wasn’t enough – the price was 1300 euros. At the last minute one incredibly generous supporter donated the last 400 euros and Ferdie was saved! A small team of volunteers came to help us fix up the shed behind our house, which was to be his new home.
Every life is important, and being able to save even one from being unnecessarily taken away is a huge achievement. We are always so grateful to volunteers and donors who help us to rescue animals and to continue to look after them, and we are so thankful that there are people out there who care about non-human lives as well.
His life now
Ferdinand lives by himself in a 3,000 m² (almost 1 acre) pasture that incorporates some of the surrounding forest, giving him plenty of low-branched trees and bushes to nibble at during the summer. He has open access to his shed and is free to wander about within his area as he pleases, living as natural a life as is possible in captivity. We clean his shed 2-3 times a week to stop the muck building up. He drinks about 40 litres of water a day, and eats a 20kg bale of hay, half in the morning and half in the evening. He loves apples or pears as a treat, and his salt lick. Sometimes Zikica the pygmy goat hangs around his place… they have a friendship based upon a mutual love of hay!
You can read full Ferdinand stroy on this link: https://vpravljiciblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/22/special-feature-ferdinand-the-bull/
