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4 mo old calf down
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<blockquote data-quote="milkmaid" data-source="post: 585429" data-attributes="member: 852"><p>"thefarmerswife" -- slow down a little. Ignore TN's posts (everyone else does) but take some serious thought about what all the rest of us have said. We're cattlemen and women too, all of us, to some degree or another -- from the folks who have a handful to the folks who have several hundred. We've fought our best to keep sick ones alive and most of us have gotten emotional to some extent about putting down an animal we own.</p><p></p><p>I put a horse down Saturday -- well, not personally, because one of the other guys offered to, but I made the decision. I've put calves down before; it's all part of the business and it's not related to having access to a vet. I've got one of the best vets in the country just a few miles from my house.</p><p></p><p>Organic farming is fine -- my boss's heifer herd is certified organic -- but I don't like it if it ever means an animal doesn't get treated when they ought because someone wants to keep their organic status. Seems that wasn't the case here, so organic or not organic isn't the issue in this post. Why bring it up?</p><p></p><p>How do you know an animal is suffering? animals are good at masking pain. If they're not participating in normal bovine or equine activities then there's something wrong. If it's a non-fixable problem (as in the case Saturday; barbed wire and horses don't mix) then it's suffering that needs to be ended with a bullet. If it's a fixable problem then fix it. Sometimes there's gray areas, as in the case of my calf -- see the other board for that post -- but for the most part it's clear cut black and white.</p><p></p><p>So, if you have a downer calf that's not participating in normal bovine activities like walking and has to be turned daily... that should not go on for an extensive period of time. Ollie had a quote once I always liked: never let the sun set on a downer cow. Some exceptions are made, but not many.</p><p></p><p>Part of knowing when to call it quits is related to the time, knowledge and experience a person has. I know I've kept some critters longer than I should have because I didn't know. I still make mistakes but I keep much fewer non-fixable problems than I used to. This calf may be the one that you have to learn on -- the one that lives as a downer for a month before you finally put him down -- but hopefully you'll choose differently next time.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="milkmaid, post: 585429, member: 852"] "thefarmerswife" -- slow down a little. Ignore TN's posts (everyone else does) but take some serious thought about what all the rest of us have said. We're cattlemen and women too, all of us, to some degree or another -- from the folks who have a handful to the folks who have several hundred. We've fought our best to keep sick ones alive and most of us have gotten emotional to some extent about putting down an animal we own. I put a horse down Saturday -- well, not personally, because one of the other guys offered to, but I made the decision. I've put calves down before; it's all part of the business and it's not related to having access to a vet. I've got one of the best vets in the country just a few miles from my house. Organic farming is fine -- my boss's heifer herd is certified organic -- but I don't like it if it ever means an animal doesn't get treated when they ought because someone wants to keep their organic status. Seems that wasn't the case here, so organic or not organic isn't the issue in this post. Why bring it up? How do you know an animal is suffering? animals are good at masking pain. If they're not participating in normal bovine or equine activities then there's something wrong. If it's a non-fixable problem (as in the case Saturday; barbed wire and horses don't mix) then it's suffering that needs to be ended with a bullet. If it's a fixable problem then fix it. Sometimes there's gray areas, as in the case of my calf -- see the other board for that post -- but for the most part it's clear cut black and white. So, if you have a downer calf that's not participating in normal bovine activities like walking and has to be turned daily... that should not go on for an extensive period of time. Ollie had a quote once I always liked: never let the sun set on a downer cow. Some exceptions are made, but not many. Part of knowing when to call it quits is related to the time, knowledge and experience a person has. I know I've kept some critters longer than I should have because I didn't know. I still make mistakes but I keep much fewer non-fixable problems than I used to. This calf may be the one that you have to learn on -- the one that lives as a downer for a month before you finally put him down -- but hopefully you'll choose differently next time. [/QUOTE]
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