Belgian blue cattle

[Travlr]

Quite an odd case this one. Added some photos.
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Never dealt with it, but it somewhat looks like blackleg. Felt some subcutaneous emphysema on his inner thighs on his last day. Whole hind quarters muscles are dark red with edema and air pockets. Front legs muscles has abit of darker red shade and some redness on his neck. To add his lungs has no spot of normal coloration and liver are spotty, and orangey.

Yeah, that liver doesn't look healthy. Pretty young for a calf to get blackleg. Is it possible to be infected pre-birth? I don't know what the timeframe is from infection to death, but that was quick. I was actually thinking you might have found a unformed urethra, odd cardiac anomaly, or something like that.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Yeah, that liver doesn't look healthy. Pretty young for a calf to get blackleg. Is it possible to be infected pre-birth? I don't know what the timeframe is from infection to death, but that was quick. I was actually thinking you might have found a unformed urethra, odd cardiac anomaly, or something like that.

Getting some consultation from several other vets, so gonna be interesting to get all opinions. Pretty odd case for sure.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Not keeping the cow dry. One day without her calf and took a new one without much thinking.

 

[A.J.]

I'm sorry you lost the calf, but I'm glad she's taking on the new calf without much trouble.

 

[coachg]

I lost one to infection through the navel a couple of years back or that's what my vet felt like happened. But it was a week to ten days if I remember correctly. Swollen at the umbilicus. We did not autopsy the calf but he did an external exam because it had been dead a couple of days when I found it . He said they have to get a certain amount of colostrum, not just for the antibodies but it helps seal the vessels off the vet said .

 

[lithuanian farmer]

An update of the first blue calf of this season.
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His dam is 3,5months back incalf to culard charolais this time. Held on the first AI.

Had kept a couple bulls to grow this year. This boy is one of them. Not very photos as he kept moving alot.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

The last blue calf of the season.

Bull calf out of limxherefordxdairy cow, 286 days, unassisted.

 

[coachg]

The last blue calf of the season.
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Bull calf out of limxherefordxdairy cow, 286 days, unassisted.

Looks small for your normal size calves .

 

[redcowsrule33]

The only thing better than the first calf of the season is the last. Congrats! It was a rocky one for you.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I see that you have "Queen Anne's Lace" - weed - flower. They are really pretty, but a pain in the arse in our pastures/hay fields. You may call it something else - the white flower by the calf.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Looks small for your normal size calves .

Around 100-105lbs I would say. Good average size calf.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

The only thing better than the first calf of the season is the last. Congrats! It was a rocky one for you.

The last blue sired calf, but have two more cows due to calve in the following 5 days. Those are going to be the very last for this season. Gonna have some rest until December.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I see that you have "Queen Anne's Lace" - weed - flower. They are really pretty, but a pain in the arse in our pastures/hay fields. You may call it something else - the white flower by the calf.

The difference between there and here is that it is native to there. At some point in time, we got sent the pretty flowers. Kinda like the dandelion. We can use the dandelion for salad and wine though. We do have the queen anne's lace to thank for carrots.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

I see that you have "Queen Anne's Lace" - weed - flower. They are really pretty, but a pain in the arse in our pastures/hay fields. You may call it something else - the white flower by the calf.

Calling it wild carrot here. Common in poor fields.

The difference between there and here is that it is native to there. At some point in time, we got sent the pretty flowers. Kinda like the dandelion. We can use the dandelion for salad and wine though. We do have the queen anne's lace to thank for carrots.

Yup, it is native here.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

@Jeanne - Simme Valley I got to looking into 'Queen Anne's lace'. For everyone here on this forum, it is a pain. I work with other kinds of livestock as well on a pasture basis. It's not an animal I've done much with, but Queen Anne's lace can have a place for pastured pigs. I'm not a fan of them, but I enjoy the challenge of formulating a pasture design that is conservation oriented/environmentally friendly for all species of livestock. The roots of QAl are quite good for swine. The one possible concern is that QAl can result in photosensitization in swine, and sheep. Pale skinned swine are pre-disposed to sunburn to begin with, so this is a concern, even if it is infrequent.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I HATE IT. I can see where hogs wouldn't kill it off, the roots are very DEEP.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

An update on the white backed heifer. Almost 5 months old.



She won't be tall, just like her sire, but she is heavy for sure. Won't be weaned until November.
Planning to get some straws of the red white backed blue next year.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Quite a rear quarters on her!!!

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Brother and sister


Heifer's dam should be incalf to another blue again, bull's dam will be retiring after weaning as she is 12 years old and her age starts to show.
Heifer was born at the end of March, bull- mid June.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

The bull has better manners - the heifer is sticking her tongue out at you! LOL
Heifer is massive!