Bull Disaster

[tamarack]

Heard today of a big ranch north of me they have 1500 head of cows owner left for a few days and when neighbour went to check farm found cattle water not working to bull pen line had broke underground. 40 bulls had been out of water for 2 or 3 days, they put water troughs out and filled with water truck. One bull started staggering when it had its fill of water and fell dead right away 17 more dead by evening 1 left standing rest dead by morning, They had vet out right away and he told them there was nothing to do when they drank their fill water when dehydrated they will die, need to ration it even then its dangerous. It was very hot for here 30c + now it has cooled off today is 12c. Just a warning to check all waters and don't fill them up if it has been off I don't know how you would ration 40 thirsty bulls but it is a very expensive lesson.

 

[Aaron]

Incompetence abounds. Have never left the cattle for more than a day at a time, ever. People offer to look after things, but I have never went there. Have looked after other people's places while they were gone, and even checking multiple times a day, cattle still died. The last person I did it for left it for me in the peak of calving season, so I ended up losing one calf out of a bunch of live ones and got an earful for it. So I don't babysit anymore. If you can't be there to look after cattle 365, get rid of them. You don't deserve them. Best to go grain farming, then you can take lots of vacations.

Neighbor left for 2 weeks, a week and half ago. Thankfully he was smart enough to turn out 150 yearlings to pasture rather than continue to drylot them on a single water bowl and little feed. Otherwise there would have been lots of dead ones there as well. But he is an incompetent fool all the way around.

 

[Hook]

Incompetence abounds. Have never left the cattle for more than a day at a time, ever. People offer to look after things, but I have never went there. Have looked after other people's places while they were gone, and even checking multiple times a day, cattle still died. The last person I did it for left it for me in the peak of calving season, so I ended up losing one calf out of a bunch of live ones and got an earful for it. So I don't babysit anymore. If you can't be there to look after cattle 365, get rid of them. You don't deserve them. Best to go grain farming, then you can take lots of vacations.

Neighbor left for 2 weeks, a week and half ago. Thankfully he was smart enough to turn out 150 yearlings to pasture rather than continue to drylot them on a single water bowl and little feed. Otherwise there would have been lots of dead ones there as well. But he is an incompetent fool all the way around.

Bullshyt Aaron. This has been hashed and rehashed several times here. Cows do just fine with out babysitting them. Sometimes things happen yes. But if you want to spend your existence baby sitting a 4 legged dummy to make sure the dummy doesn't hurt itself more power to you.

 

[Aaron]

Hook, if you're cashing a healthy check from something other than cows, than you obviously have enough money to say whatever you want. I know lots of people like that.

 

[Nesikep]

if the cows are out where there's creeks flowing, lots of stuff to eat, they don't need to be babysat... If they're penned up, then they do need to be checked. I graze relatively intensively, and rely on tubs, etc for water.. when it's 105F in the shade, I check on that tub several times a day... they're in an electric fence, and you can be sure if I turn my back, a deer will jump over the main line and tear it down, and the cows will be in my hayfields, with luck, they'll bloat! I designed my own stock waterer float, and it has behaved well, so far if it has ever failed from excessive dirt in the lines, it has stuck OPEN.. it might make a bit of a mess, but the cows will still have water!

 

[Hook]

Hook, if you're cashing a healthy check from something other than cows, than you obviously have enough money to say whatever you want. I know lots of people like that.

Cows still die reguardless of you sitting on them 24/7 or not. By your standard, id wager 3/4 of this countries cows would be gone. I know at least 3/4 Florida's cows would be sice they are mainly raised on leased land.
I get what you're saying Aaron but to say that if you can't be there every day to get rid of them is one of the most assinine statements I've ever heard here. :2cents:

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

If my cows can't make it on there own in a field full of grass and a pond full of water I will sell them and find some that can.

 

[highgrit]

I've seen cows and horses die because of a well problem. Myself I leave the cows in pastures with ponds when we leave. Seems like crap always happens when you're not around.

 

[skyhightree1]

Personally if I were single and had nothing better to do than run behind a funky cow yea I'd stay there 24-7-365... however wife kids I can't make them suffer and not take trips because of a cow. You can be home and 20 of them get hit by lightning or something else. If you worry about the what its in life you don't have a life to live. What's meant to be will be... what's gonna happen will happen.. comment not directed towards anyone just my feelings on it.

 

[cow pollinater]

I'm inclined to think the line was broken when the owner left. If it broke while he was gone there would be some water left in the trough to keep them going for a little while at least and two days is stressful but not enough to kill cattle.

 

[tamarack]

cattle waters here usually only hold 5 to 20 gallons

 

[cowgirl8]

So sad for these animals......I hate when i have something penned up that i have to check water. I put a red ball, the kind you'd play kick ball with in the water so that at a glance i can see if the water level is high..I use automatic waterers, but something always happens to them and they leak.
During calving season i check on our cows 3 times a day, i practically live out with the cows. This last season, i saved around 10 calves. Thats a lot of mooola for my time. I just check once a day now, more if i see something that might be a problem. I know people who dont check as much as we do and i'm going to guess that they dont have as good a calf crop than if they were out there more. If they are in the south, the loss from the vultures has to be constant if you arent around.

 

[Hook]

So sad for these animals......I hate when i have something penned up that i have to check water. I put a red ball, the kind you'd play kick ball with in the water so that at a glance i can see if the water level is high..I use automatic waterers, but something always happens to them and they leak.
During calving season i check on our cows 3 times a day, i practically live out with the cows. This last season, i saved around 10 calves. Thats a lot of mooola for my time. I just check once a day now, more if i see something that might be a problem. I know people who dont check as much as we do and i'm going to guess that they dont have as good a calf crop than if they were out there more. If they are in the south, the loss from the vultures has to be constant if you arent around.

The red ball idea is a decent idea for large waterers. Not all the south has a problem with culture predation btw.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Bulls penned up that can't get any other water than piped in ,thats a different story.thats something that needs checked at the very least once a day...million to one chance it well happen,dont apply to cattle.

 

[cowgirl8]

Its usually only a problem if you are calving out a lot of heifers. Also, it will be a problem in florida soon if it isnt yet. They are taking over like fireants..

 

[greybeard]

Just left my place for 4 days but not untill I arranged for 3 different people to check on things. From the # of tire tracks on my road, I'd say they each did and one of them even put a new latch on a creep feeder cover.

Water is never a problem here--the placed by design is crisscrossed with canals that stay filled from the big pond--even in 2011's drought. I do keep plastic and steel water tanks filled too, but that's just so they don't have to walk as far.

Since I've never really worried about dehydration and then sudden over hydration, what is the physiological process that causes death after ingesting a lot of water?

 

[Nesikep]

I think it's to do with the ion concentration in the blood vs the cells that gets severely imbalanced... I think I learned this at some point but it's not coming to me right now.. perhaps LuckyP or someone can refresh my memory?

 

[WalnutCrest]

How would one ration water back to that many bulls and over how long?

 

[Stones]

To us its pretty simple..if its in a pen, its checked several times a day. Water troughs in the pastures here in S Texas are checked every other day. Sad loss....

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

How would one ration water back to that many bulls and over how long?

I'd guess you'd just partially fill the troughs and let them drink just a little at a time. No idea how long. A day or two I guess?