Obituary ox Bezi
He was the boss of 60 head of cattle
The life of a farmer and his herd of cattle had come to a dead end
During a patent meeting in 2008, a farmer from the Mostviertel region suddenly stood in front of Michael Aufhauser and asked for help. He and his cattle were in a hopeless situation and so the desperate farmer turned to Gut Aiderbichl.
The farm is located on a mountain and the work was determined by the seasons and his animals. The 60 cattle had to be looked after every day and there were hardly any days off for the single man. The man increasingly realised that he was no longer up to his tasks. Then his mother, who supported him at work, also fell ill and became a carer.
The herd of cattle went into permanent free range
The farmer built up relationships with the cattle as a result of keeping his animals free and soon realised what great characters were grazing on his pastures. He sat down with them in the grass, gave them names and promised them a good life. Every now and then he had to sell a cow to make money. However, he found it increasingly difficult to part with his animals.
The cattle reproduction was not EU-compliant
The herd grew and there were 60 cattle on the pastures and no more animals were sold. The farmer was well aware that cattle farming was subject to close monitoring by the authorities, but he left things as they were. Anyone keeping cattle in the EU needs to be registered, have ear tags and provide proof of origin.
Farming had become a kind of domestic animal husbandry
The cattle were doing well so far. They were sometimes kept like pets and even walked around the house. The farmer himself had not realised that he was neglecting himself and his farm more and more. The work with his large herd sapped his energy, so that the housework was left undone in the evenings. The neglect of many years had now caught up with him and Gut Aiderbichl thought about how it could help the farmer and his animals.
Bezi the bull oversaw the clean-up work
The local farmers’ wives and many other helpers rolled up their sleeves and started to get the farmyard and living quarters back in shape.
Bezi was not yet neutered and had an enormous height. He watched the transformation of the farm from the window of his stable. Because of his size, Bezi had always been separated from the other cattle. But the great day of freedom was to come for him too.
Bezi remained the head of the herd under the leadership of Gut Aiderbichl
As part of the relief operation, all the cattle received veterinary care, their hooves were trimmed and missing registrations were completed.
Bezi was castrated and now spent many years as a free and huge ox on the pastures of Kilb. Kilb had now become a Gut Aiderbichl animal sanctuary and everything began to run smoothly.
A long chapter of the fairytale in Kilb is closed…
Bezi was getting on in years and was put to sleep by the vet a few weeks ago at the ripe old age of 21. Until the end, he was the boss for everyone, even though he became thinner and more reserved.
All the cattle had respect for Bezi, their leading bull for many years. He must have experienced all the drama, but also all the love of his farmer. Now Bezi has closed his eyes forever and the fairytale in Kilb lives on with all the other cattle: chapter two.
One of the reasons why I pay so much attention to the development of young, talented people who will be able to continue running Gut Aiderbichl one day is simply explained: everyone, including me, can reach a point where they are overwhelmed. You have to think about that moment soon enough.
– Michael Aufhauser
Dearr Bezi,
One thing was certain: even if your farmer couldn’t manage the work around him, you can assume that you probably lacked for nothing. He had a great friend: Bezi, Torro Rosso.
We are sad that you have now left for the other shore and grateful that the fairy tale of Kilb will continue. Take care well, dear Bezi. .
