And my bad luck continues.......

[CCCowman]

Last July found my favorite and best cow dead. She'd been shot. Had a 3 month old calf which I was lucky enough to find a good home for.

In August a 4-year old cow was looking pitiful. Ate good but just wasn't getting back her condition after late calfing in May. I'd bought this girl from a neighbor (very well respected here in East Tn. For his good Angus herd). Took her to the vet…. Johne's.

Had a still born in January. Nice little bull calf.

And now……. Another neighbor and good friend has been using my bull the past couple years. He's out of town so he asked me to check his cows for him. Last night as I was getting feed ready for my girls, my bull was standing all by himself at the corner of the field (maybe 40 yards away from me). Making a weird noise. I figured he wanted me to pet him (yes he is that calm. I give him his shots each year in the middle of the field whiles he eats a bucket of feed). Walked over and was shocked. Last August he weighed 2100 lbs. Now he'd be lucky to go 1800. He held his head up and turned and there's a softball size knot on his neck, right below his jaw. I got him a little feed. He tried eating but I could tell he was in some pain. I walked him down to my barn/loading area. Pinned him up. Looks like it's off to the vet as soon as they open. I sure hope my lil' buddy is OK.

 

[JMJ Farms]

It seems like it when it rains it pours sometimes. Snakebite on the bull? Hope all works out well.

 

[A.J.]

Sorry to hear of the run of bad luck you've had. I hope your bull can be treated and have a full recovery. I know it's easy to get discouraged after all that. Keep your chin up and hang in there. Hopefully you've got the bad stuff behind you for a while, and You've got better days ahead.

 

[TCRanch]

Sorry for the bad luck! Hopefully it's nothing more than an abscess.

 

[Bigfoot]

My brother runs about 25 cows. Has about everything anybody would ever want to raise cattle with:squeeze chute, two cab tractors, new hay roller, etc. Hes lost two calves this spring. I think he's bluffing, but he says he's going out because his luck is so bad. He's obviously doing it for fun. I guess it's not fun for him unless everything just falls in line. I'm pretty sure my life has been marked by disappointment. It doesn't seem to bother me anymore.

 

[etmountianman71]

Sorry to hear that, hope it works out to be well. Friend of mine lost pregnant cow, and then another calf to neighbors dogs.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Sorry to hear that, hope it works out to be well. Friend of mine lost pregnant cow, and then another calf to neighbors dogs.

Neighbor needs to hone his SSS skills.

 

[etmountianman71]

Neighbor has been practicing just that, got two more to go.

 

[farmerjan]

Have had a bad fall and winter, too.
Lost my old nurse cow to internal tumors. Lost another old nurse cow, a guernsey. She was a stockyard rescue, and never really gained like she should, but had a couple calves for me, and she let any & everything nurse her. Lost a 3 yr old 1st calf heifer to no apparrant reason. Drove up the hill, past the group to the barn to feed the calves and check them. Talked to the owners, who were up at house, and about an hour later drove down driveway and there she was laying dead. Though she had her back down the hill, but nope, laying legs down hill, out flat. No idea. Saturday, and was not going to pay extra for an autopsy with cow prices being so low. Lost 2 old beef cows at pasture; could have been the washy grass and not enough nutrition, could have been their time due to age. Lost a calf off one of those old cows that was real nice and I was going to keep her, that got uside down in the feed bunk in the barn and didn't find her until the next morning.
Have had terrible preg checks. 50% at one place, 65 % at the other 3. Bulls all had BSE and there were enough pregnant that it didn't seem to be a bull problem. Vet thinks the "washy grass" may have contributed as many didn't gain condition like they should have. But some open were a bit thin, some were round as a barrel. He said possible low mag so this year we are going to hi-mag all year. He thinks we could have a bit of a problem with it. We feed it normally feb through june or july.

We are finally seeing some sun. Have had about 4 days of sun, and just clouds yesterday as the rain stayed a bit south. Mostly sun forecast all week. Maybe things will change.

 

[YoungAngusCattle]

I've lost 4 calfs and 3 cows this year. Don't know whats going on but it's been a rough calving season so far... I feel your pain.

 

[JW IN VA]

Have had a bad fall and winter, too.
Lost my old nurse cow to internal tumors. Lost another old nurse cow, a guernsey. She was a stockyard rescue, and never really gained like she should, but had a couple calves for me, and she let any & everything nurse her. Lost a 3 yr old 1st calf heifer to no apparrant reason. Drove up the hill, past the group to the barn to feed the calves and check them. Talked to the owners, who were up at house, and about an hour later drove down driveway and there she was laying dead. Though she had her back down the hill, but nope, laying legs down hill, out flat. No idea. Saturday, and was not going to pay extra for an autopsy with cow prices being so low. Lost 2 old beef cows at pasture; could have been the washy grass and not enough nutrition, could have been their time due to age. Lost a calf off one of those old cows that was real nice and I was going to keep her, that got uside down in the feed bunk in the barn and didn't find her until the next morning.
Have had terrible preg checks. 50% at one place, 65 % at the other 3. Bulls all had BSE and there were enough pregnant that it didn't seem to be a bull problem. Vet thinks the "washy grass" may have contributed as many didn't gain condition like they should have. But some open were a bit thin, some were round as a barrel. He said possible low mag so this year we are going to hi-mag all year. He thinks we could have a bit of a problem with it. We feed it normally feb through june or july.

We are finally seeing some sun. Have had about 4 days of sun, and just clouds yesterday as the rain stayed a bit south. Mostly sun forecast all week. Maybe things will change.

Sounds familiar.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Saw the calf nursing this morning, dead this afternoon. Stuff just happens, I'm going to ice the calf down in case I have something going on.

 

[JMJ Farms]

Dang it man.

 

[TCRanch]

Dang, Grit, I hate to see that! Did you feel or hear any popping, primarily on its legs? Blackleg is that fast.

 

[JMJ Farms]

Dang, Grit, I hate to see that! Did you feel or hear any popping, primarily on its legs? Blackleg is that fast.

If you suspect blackleg, cut a leg open. Usually easy to diagnose. The cases I've seen have been in 400-600 pound yearlings, but I am most certainly not a veterinarian, and I think I have been told any animal under a year old is at risk. I also am pretty sure Grit gives a blackleg vaccine, but I don't know for sure, or at what age.

 

[TCRanch]

Dang, Grit, I hate to see that! Did you feel or hear any popping, primarily on its legs? Blackleg is that fast.

If you suspect blackleg, cut a leg open. Usually easy to diagnose. The cases I've seen have been in 400-600 pound yearlings, but I am most certainly not a veterinarian, and I think I have been told any animal under a year old is at risk. I also am pretty sure Grit gives a blackleg vaccine, but I don't know for sure, or at what age.

I vaccinate at appx 3 months & there's a lot of discussion/debate whether vaccinating earlier is truly beneficial. And yet I've lost 3 calves under 3 months over the years to clostridial disease, one was Type D (overeating disease).

That said, sometimes they just freakin' die for no apparent reason!

 

[True Grit Farms]

I didn't feel any bubbles, no bullet holes and the only thing I see that's wrong is a little red in the eye socket. We're going to try and have an autopsy done on the calf tomorrow.
My daughter is in the emergency room for her appendix or gastrointestinal disease? She's having a CT done right now to find out why she's in so much pain. Hopefully it's nothing major, just one thing after another.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I didn't feel any bubbles, no bullet holes and the only thing I see that's wrong is a little red in the eye socket. We're going to try and have an autopsy done on the calf tomorrow.
My daughter is in the emergency room for her appendix or gastrointestinal disease? She's having a CT done right now to find out why she's in so much pain. Hopefully it's nothing major, just one thing after another.

Appendix deal sucks. Been there. Mine ruptured. Also had problem with the other but never been diagnosed with any thing in particular. Hopefully she will have a speedy recovery.

 

[CattleMan1920]

Saw the calf nursing this morning, dead this afternoon. Stuff just happens, I'm going to ice the calf down in case I have something going on.

That's terrible! Sorry bout your loss.

 

[CattleMan1920]

This winter has taken nothing short of massive action to make sure problems stayed at a minimum.

I would say I've been lucky, but I'm too tired to call it luck.

Knock on wood, no losses over the winter, but a he.ll of a lot of work to make that claim.

Almost felt obsessive at times, but I HATE losses.