Have you wormed her?View attachment 28662
Update - starting to see a lot more springing and a little udder appearing! Really keeping a close eye on this girl.
Can you please elaborate? All my cattle are given a good quality loose mineral, and they were getting fed hay twice a day. Just moved them to green pastures to graze a few days ago. The guy I got her from back in September does nothing with his cattle - nothing more than letting them graze and supplementing with hay in winter.She could use more feed than just hay.
In my opinion that heifer is in poor condition to have and raise a calf.Can you please elaborate? All my cattle are given a good quality loose mineral, and they were getting fed hay twice a day. Just moved them to green pastures to graze a few days ago. The guy I got her from back in September does nothing with his cattle - nothing more than letting them graze and supplementing with hay in winter.
Yes, I agree. I purchased her from someone who does not practice good management, and some to find out, lets his bull run with all of his cattle. I spoke with my vet about giving her a Lute injection, however, since she was with the bull the whole time, we did not know how far along she was (or if she was even bred upon purchase). Poor management on the person I purchased her from. So... I am doing my best. Do you suggest I separate and give her a grain supplement? She has free choice grazing 24/7 and the loose mineral.In my opinion that heifer is in poor condition to have and raise a calf.
I wouldn't grain her. If she's wormed and doesn't gain enough weight to be in decent condition on spring grass I'd send her packing. Grain just makes poor quality cattle look like good quality cattle on nothing but grass.Yes, I agree. I purchased her from someone who does not practice good management, and some to find out, lets his bull run with all of his cattle. I spoke with my vet about giving her a Lute injection, however, since she was with the bull the whole time, we did not know how far along she was (or if she was even bred upon purchase). Poor management on the person I purchased her from. So... I am doing my best. Do you suggest I separate and give her a grain supplement? She has free choice grazing 24/7 and the loose mineral.
Yes, you have no idea when she will calve, could be tonight and she is now where you only see her a couple times a day. We check heifers every two hours. Dead calves or heifers don't pay bills. If you feed her some supplement and she loses calf anyway she will be well on the way to your first goal with her anyway. A heifer her size and in her condition could easily use 6 to 8 lbs of grain to come ahead.Yes, I agree. I purchased her from someone who does not practice good management, and some to find out, lets his bull run with all of his cattle. I spoke with my vet about giving her a Lute injection, however, since she was with the bull the whole time, we did not know how far along she was (or if she was even bred upon purchase). Poor management on the person I purchased her from. So... I am doing my best. Do you suggest I separate and give her a grain supplement? She has free choice grazing 24/7 and the loose mineral.
My initial plan was to use her as a feeder calf and finish her out to butcher.I wouldn't grain her. If she's wormed and doesn't gain enough weight to be in decent condition on spring grass I'd send her packing. Grain just makes poor quality cattle look like good quality cattle on nothing but grass.
You are likely a believer that feeding grain makes big calves too.I wouldn't grain her. If she's wormed and doesn't gain enough weight to be in decent condition on spring grass I'd send her packing. Grain just makes poor quality cattle look like good quality cattle on nothing but grass.
She is actually right next to my house now so I can check her every hour and have been. Thanks for your advice.Yes, you have no idea when she will calve, could be tonight and she is now where you only see her a couple times a day. We check heifers every two hours. Dead calves or heifers don't pay bills. If you feed her some supplement and she loses calf anyway she will be well on the way to your first goal with her anyway. A heifer her size and in her condition could easily use 6 to 8 lbs of grain to come ahead.
I have had Angus heifers like that. No bag until after calf was born.Yes she's showing a sloppy vulva. What caught my attention was her lagging to come to eat. Or when moving to a different pasture the other day she was off by herself kind of hanging out. She's just showing those typical signs of getting to calve - minus the udder development. She is a beef shorthorn angus cross. Definitely not overly fat at all, she's moderate. But I know she's young which concerns me. She's been getting good hay and a good loose mineral. I have had her since about October so she came to me bred.
Not so much the calf but the momma. Fat cows calf harder.You are likely a believer that feeding grain makes big calves too.
Well if you've read my posts you probably know I'd wean six hundred pound calves without grain. The only grain I fed was enough to teach the lead cows to come when I called.... and to finish something for my own freezer,You are likely a believer that feeding grain makes big calves too.
Yes also true… thanks for the input! I will try deworming her again with something else.I wouldn't grain her. If she's wormed and doesn't gain enough weight to be in decent condition on spring grass I'd send her packing. Grain just makes poor quality cattle look like good quality cattle on nothing but grass.
She does look wormy, so as @aprille218 says you might want to do it with something different. The way you describe the place you got her from she might be inbred too. That could affect how she looks.
Thanks TC! I think we got him out right in time otherwise he would have been a goner… his tongue is in his mouth so not swollen anymore. I would like to put him with mama this morning but he's still not getting up on his own. I'm thinking see about getting him up a few times today, and then introduce them again tonight or tomorrow morning. I just don't think he will thrive if I take him back out right now. Do you think by tomorrow morning at the latest is too long to wait? It would be approx 35 hours away from mom if I waited till tomorrow morningGood save and glad you got him to the vet. I'd put him with mama right away but watch closely. In a perfect world, she'll immediately claim him. But sometimes they can be a little testy or indifferent after a hard pull. Orphan No More works fine - if the cow wants a calf in the first place. Otherwise, that and all the other tricks require quality time in the chute and a lot of patience (of which I have none for that kind of nonsense - the cow has one job, to raise a calf).
If the tongue is still swollen, you might try coating it with sugar and Vitamin B Complex is always good for a boost of energy.
That would be too late. Get him back with mama and do physical therapy there - assuming she's docile enough. Plan B: separate her while you're working on him.Thanks TC! I think we got him out right in time otherwise he would have been a goner… his tongue is in his mouth so not swollen anymore. I would like to put him with mama this morning but he's still not getting up on his own. I'm thinking see about getting him up a few times today, and then introduce them again tonight or tomorrow morning. I just don't think he will thrive if I take him back out right now. Do you think by tomorrow morning at the latest is too long to wait? It would be approx 35 hours away from mom if I waited till tomorrow morning