marksmu
Well-known member
Last weekend I bought 2 bulls, both nice tame (unfortunately expensive) registered bulls.
One of the two bulls got quite worked up about the trailer ride to the vet for fertility testing where he got a leg caught in the squeeze. He had to be calmed by being left in the squeeze for over an hour to free him. He checked out great and then he got even more worked up getting loaded again for the trip home. This Bull was so mad at life once I got him to the ranch he was willing to run anyone and anything down at this point.
I worked the first of the two bulls through the squeeze and when I unloaded and he calmly walked through, got his new ear tag, and went about his way. This second bull was still snorting in the trailer. I was certain that he would calm back down to the calm bull he was before he was loaded if he just had a few days of cooling off.....well....he head other plans. When I opened the gate to the trailer to let him into the chute he went through the door at full speed.....slammed through the chute, and then broke through the Priefert HD automatic squeeze/headgate.
The headgate, tried to lock down automatically, but was too slow for the bull and he ended up slamming his back left leg into the bottom of the head gate catch. He stumbled, but got up and ran with a limp. He limped quickly to the farthest point away (about 1/2 mile) then stood by a tree. I left him for an hour or so to calm down before I went to check on him, and he was laying at this point. When I got near in the Gator, he jumped up and snorted, and clawed at the ground ready to kill me. I decided best bet to leave him for the week and come back to check him.
This weekend, he has moved about a half mile to another area where there is shade and water, but he is still limping badly...I cant tell if the leg is broken or not, but the Bull is still pretty worked up. I dumped a bucket of cubes to calm him and he got up and limped over to them and ate, but sat back down as soon as he finished....When we originally approached him he urinated, and it was very clear indicating that he has been drinking....that is where I left him again.
So - aside from his obvious bad attitude that he got from the vet, and the unloading...what are your thoughts on him actually healing to use the leg (he is 1/3 of my breeding population)? What would you try to determine the extent of the injury? The area he is in now is small and I could easily confine him with my portable corral, but at this point I am trying to determine what to do with him. If I should leave him be and see if he heals, or confine and get a vet out which will surely work him up even more, or just put a bullet in him (which I really dont want to do since he was quite expensive)
I cant sell him and make hamburger because he was recently wormed and vaccinated prior to purchase, and at this point, Im just weighing my options....whats the best route?
I guess it figures that the first real problem with a cow we have is the most expensive one we've bought yet.
One of the two bulls got quite worked up about the trailer ride to the vet for fertility testing where he got a leg caught in the squeeze. He had to be calmed by being left in the squeeze for over an hour to free him. He checked out great and then he got even more worked up getting loaded again for the trip home. This Bull was so mad at life once I got him to the ranch he was willing to run anyone and anything down at this point.
I worked the first of the two bulls through the squeeze and when I unloaded and he calmly walked through, got his new ear tag, and went about his way. This second bull was still snorting in the trailer. I was certain that he would calm back down to the calm bull he was before he was loaded if he just had a few days of cooling off.....well....he head other plans. When I opened the gate to the trailer to let him into the chute he went through the door at full speed.....slammed through the chute, and then broke through the Priefert HD automatic squeeze/headgate.
The headgate, tried to lock down automatically, but was too slow for the bull and he ended up slamming his back left leg into the bottom of the head gate catch. He stumbled, but got up and ran with a limp. He limped quickly to the farthest point away (about 1/2 mile) then stood by a tree. I left him for an hour or so to calm down before I went to check on him, and he was laying at this point. When I got near in the Gator, he jumped up and snorted, and clawed at the ground ready to kill me. I decided best bet to leave him for the week and come back to check him.
This weekend, he has moved about a half mile to another area where there is shade and water, but he is still limping badly...I cant tell if the leg is broken or not, but the Bull is still pretty worked up. I dumped a bucket of cubes to calm him and he got up and limped over to them and ate, but sat back down as soon as he finished....When we originally approached him he urinated, and it was very clear indicating that he has been drinking....that is where I left him again.
So - aside from his obvious bad attitude that he got from the vet, and the unloading...what are your thoughts on him actually healing to use the leg (he is 1/3 of my breeding population)? What would you try to determine the extent of the injury? The area he is in now is small and I could easily confine him with my portable corral, but at this point I am trying to determine what to do with him. If I should leave him be and see if he heals, or confine and get a vet out which will surely work him up even more, or just put a bullet in him (which I really dont want to do since he was quite expensive)
I cant sell him and make hamburger because he was recently wormed and vaccinated prior to purchase, and at this point, Im just weighing my options....whats the best route?
I guess it figures that the first real problem with a cow we have is the most expensive one we've bought yet.