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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 43,901 Likes: 11
Campfire 'Bwana
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OP
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 43,901 Likes: 11 |
We have our first calf heifers pairs right out the front door.
This morning at 8AM one of the cows(2 year old) didn't get up when we fed.
That's odd so of course we checked on her. Wet nose, no labored breathing, no sign or scent of infection.
She calved 11 days ago and has been fine, zero sign of sickness until this morning.
Got done feeding the rest of the cows at 11AM, checked on her and she's laying perfectly normal with her legs under her and her head tucked like she's sleeping.
But she's dead.
I'm stumped.
Thanks for any ideas.
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,086
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,086 |
Internal bleeding or infection from calving?
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 60,912 Likes: 14
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 60,912 Likes: 14 |
Bad deal Sam. No veterinary me.
These premises insured by a Sheltie in Training ,--- and Cooey.o "May the Good Lord take a likin' to you"
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 626
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 626 |
Sam, would the cost be prohibitive to have a vet come out and post her? Do a bovine autopsy.
bkraft
"Four things greater than all things are, Women and Horses and Power and War."
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,080
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,080 |
Hi Sam-sorry about your cow-sucks to lose a heifer just starting her career.
What causes a cow to go so quickly with no apparent reason? A necropsy is probably a good idea for this one.
Lots of possibilities, here are some things I would consider-
Metabolic causes like hypocalcemia (milk fever) or hypomagnesemia (grass tetany). MF's are usually dull/quiet and closer to calving date, GT's are usually trembling or shaky-so these aren't at the top of my list.
Peritonitis (infection in the abdominal cavity)-from a tear in the reproductive tract, or from a torsion or volvulus (twisted gut). After calving there's suddenly more room in their belly for stuff to move. Abdominal press, i.e. straining to have the calf-hardware in the GI tract can perforate to cause infection in the abdominal or pleural cavities.
I've seen blackleg (Clostridial infection) in a heifer that had just calved-and she had 2 doses of vaccine at 2 and 8 months of age!
Netwrap or plastic from baleage causing GI obstruction.
Cutting her open might rule in or rule out most of these guesses?
Always drink upstream from the herd...cowdoc...
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 43,901 Likes: 11
Campfire 'Bwana
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OP
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 43,901 Likes: 11 |
Thanks for the replies.
Cowdoc, thanks explaining all the possibilities. Just hard to say I guess as we didn't cut her open and the nearest vet is 50 miles away.
Busy afternoon and to be honest I'm not much of an internal csi guy.
Only 20 pair in that pen and I walk through them 2-3 times daily. I know this critter and just a couple days ago she was running around just fine.
I'm a netwrap nazi hate to see any little bit laying on the ground, if she had just calved maybe we might have guessed she had a twin still in her. But no sign of straining and it's been 11 days since she calved.
She left a nice big heifer calf, hate to see it happen.
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 69,659 Likes: 14
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 69,659 Likes: 14 |
Sorry to hear, Sam. I think most of us worry about losses like that. The fact that we do, makes us fit for the job.
Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla!
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 10,313 Likes: 3
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 10,313 Likes: 3 |
That really sucks to lose a heifer, or cow, after you kinda figure you're out of the woods with baby on the ground and nursing well.
So will you be able to work the calf onto another cow?
Black Cows Matter!
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