At the end of a long line at the vets...

[WalnutCrest]

I'm supposed to arrive at the vets at 2pm. I'm 90 minutes late due to my sons soccer tournament getting over late and an uncooperative old (!) Cow that refused to step up 10" to get in the trailer...

Anyhow once I get there, there is this line ... three trailers deep! They're usually done at noon on Saturday, the vet was doing me a favor by agreeing to stick around until 2pm! Well, apparently there were others who needed him, too!

The guy at the head of the line, who apparently had been there for hours, arrived with a cow who had conjoined twins, one of whom was inside out.

... talk about a messy procedure!

Whoa Nelly!

The vet is in his 60s ... I ask him when it was my turn if he'd ever seen something like that before. He said once and shook his head and then proceeded to tell me all about it!

...oh, and this cow hoped back on the trailer and it going home. The vet thinks this cow groom yesterday will make it.

 

[jkwilson]

I finally built a ramp after too many sessions of cows refusing to step up. The day I hit one with a prod and it jumped in, turned around and jumped out before I could get the door closed, is the day I started building the ramp. I had 3 cows in the alley to load, and this one was first in line so I ended up with one in front facing the wrong way in the alley. Naturally I was by myself and running late to get to the vet for preg checks on them.

Owning cattle gives you plenty of opportunities to practice your cussing.

 

[bird dog]

I learned long ago that a dirt ramp that is about even with the bottom of the trailer makes a world of difference especially with calves. I load a lot at night and then its even worse then if they have to jump. With the ramp they run right in,

 

[farmerjan]

We have found that where we back the trailer up to the alley to load, that the back tires have a shallow depression, like some ruts that were made when the ground got real soft from rainy weather, and the back of the trailer just naturally sits down closer to the ground and the cattle don't seem to have much problem going in. It has made it alot easier to get them to go on. We always try to load and unload at pastures with the back end of the trailer lower to the ground by taking advantage of natural dips and rises in the ground.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Seems like the gentle ones, give the most trouble in the alley and chute..mostly just getting them to move forward...the wilder ones you just got to be quick..

 

[dun]

The only time we've had any issues when when the trailer was super clean (like from having moved furniture). Found that throwing some hay or straw for a couple of foot infront of the door on the trailer took care of that problem.

 

[dun]

Seems like the gentle ones, give the most trouble in the alley and chute..mostly just getting them to move forward...the wilder ones you just got to be quick..

We;ve got a couple like that. Crank their tail till it pops and they just stand there. Our vet reaches over and just touches their tail head and the go into high gear. He must have a hot shot in his fingers.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

We have found that where we back the trailer up to the alley to load, that the back tires have a shallow depression, like some ruts that were made when the ground got real soft from rainy weather, and the back of the trailer just naturally sits down closer to the ground and the cattle don't seem to have much problem going in. It has made it alot easier to get them to go on. We always try to load and unload at pastures with the back end of the trailer lower to the ground by taking advantage of natural dips and rises in the ground.

I've scraped and cleaned around my chute with a box in the past,, its the same way...

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Seems like the gentle ones, give the most trouble in the alley and chute..mostly just getting them to move forward...the wilder ones you just got to be quick..

We;ve got a couple like that. Crank their tail till it pops and they just stand there. Our vet reaches over and just touches their tail head and the go into high gear. He must have a hot shot in his fingers.

Probably worked thousands of Head at the stockyard in his rookie years and learned a technique :cowboy:

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Speaking of that,,I use to help the vet at the stockyard years ago." For learning purposes only". you can bet it wasn't for the money :lol: ..my shirt tail never came in contact with my pants till finished...

 

[dun]

Seems like the gentle ones, give the most trouble in the alley and chute..mostly just getting them to move forward...the wilder ones you just got to be quick..

We;ve got a couple like that. Crank their tail till it pops and they just stand there. Our vet reaches over and just touches their tail head and the go into high gear. He must have a hot shot in his fingers.

Probably worked thousands of Head at the stockyard in his rookie years and learned a technique :cowboy:

Could be. His dad was the salebarn vet for years and he spent time at MARC in the reproduction unit and taught repro at Kansas state.