Bred Heifer Frustration

[Coosh71]

Hey all! I'd like y'all's opinions/insight on a COSTLY issue I'm having. Like other parts of the country we are in a drought. We like in the Texas Panhandle and haven't had a drop of water since October 8th of last year. Weather has been mild (some cold but a lot of 60-75 degree days/weeks). Out of 12 retained/bought heifers, we have now sluffed 4. All but 1 were short bred, but the one today had discharge on her tail was stretched out as if she calved a larger calf. But she isn't due until April. I've looked for the calf and placenta with no luck. Bulls were tested prior to breeding and all heifers we're checked by the vet after they sluffed and got a perfect health score. Vet today said he doesn't believe it's the dry weather. So what then? All animals receive 5 lbs/every other day of 20% cake and free choice mineral. All vaccinated, and have good grass from hay cut last year. Sorry this is so long just wanted to give as much detail as I could. Thanks in advance.

 

[elkwc]

Have they been tested for BVD, ect? I only ask because I know of breeders in OK having issues with it in the last year and I know they aborted but don't know a lot more.

 

[ddd75]

did you give them lepto shots ?

 

[TCRanch]

Few years ago a friend of mine had a lot of abortions, all that lost their calves tested positive for lepto. When the vet gave them a perfect health score, did that include blood tests? Sorry for your loss!

 

[Coosh71]

Yes all were given lepto. I give all cattle Virashield 6+vl5. I am going to gather up the one that sluffed yesterday and take her in and have him check her out today. Thanks.

 

[Coosh71]

Yes all were blood tested.

 

[TCRanch]

Any chance they have access to pine needles? I believe there was a fairly recent thread on abortions caused by cows eating pine needles.

 

[Coosh71]

No pines but there are cedar trees down where they are.

 

[littletom]

you buy the hay or make it?

 

[MRRherefords]

Any chance they have access to pine needles? I believe there was a fairly recent thread on abortions caused by cows eating pine needles.

Pine needles will cause abortions as we found out first hand. The needles got into the center of their hay bale and the herd leader got into the middle and a few days later dropped a calf 6 weeks early. Taught us a valuable lesson.

 

[Coosh71]

Hay comes from our Meadows. Some bluestem, Bermuda and side oats. Very little weed if any. Dried hay out before having it baled. We have 6 pine trees in front of our barn that we planted. They are 300 yards away from the fenceline to that pasture. Only evergreen is cedars. We are moving all heifers tomorrow and blood testing the last aborted heifer. Let y'all know if anything odd comes up with blood work. Had high hopes for these red balancer heifers so I hope we can save the rest from aborting. Thanks again.

 

[TCRanch]

Any chance they have access to pine needles? I believe there was a fairly recent thread on abortions caused by cows eating pine needles.

Pine needles will cause abortions as we found out first hand. The needles got into the center of their hay bale and the herd leader got into the middle and a few days later dropped a calf 6 weeks early. Taught us a valuable lesson.

 

[Coosh71]

Update*** vet called me today and said heifer was negative for lepto/neospora, but was positive for IBR and all 3 strands of BVD. He did say he believes the positive test is a result of prior vaccinations, and not exposure. Said all the levels were almost identical, so points to vaccinations not exposure. So still a but of a mystery with these heifers.

 

[W.B.]

I would run a 5 day cycle of ctc through the remaining breds. It could be bacteria related.

 

[Son of Butch]

Moldy feed?
seems you've eliminated most of the other usual culprits.

 

[Coosh71]

All the feed they receive is cubes or cake. None was moldy at all that I have ever seen and I do look for that. I have called and had them pull out a load because it was too wet/moldy.

 

[Coosh71]

WB would have to get the okay to feed that from the vet correct?