To the Editor:
Having studied and worked with cows for decades as a veterinarian, I take issue with the concept expressed in the recent article about farming in the Berkshires that, because cows generate heat by fermentation of hay in their rumens (true), they therefore need no protection from the elements and are thus different from dogs and other domestic animals in this respect (not true). The fact of the matter is that dogs, too, given adequate food, are capable of surviving outdoors without protection in the winter. Wolves, the recent ancestors of our dogs, can survive in Arctic conditions so long as they can procure adequate food. However, while both dogs and cows may be capable of survival without protection from the elements, good management practices dictate that neither species should be forced to do so.
Ron Majdalany, V.M.D.
Great Barrington
Dogs and cows both need protection from the elements
In his letter Ron Majdalany writes: “While both dogs and cows may be capable of survival without protection from the elements, good management practices dictate that neither species should be forced to do so."
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