Calving Paralysis
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Caustic Burno
Well-known member
ollie":3u5s1k9f said:
yeah you did and you were right
Medic24
Well-known member
When it comes to downers like this, after a few days, we take the advice of Sam Elliete (spelling?).........whats for supper? ...BEEF! :cboy:
Welcome to the boreds Kathleen! ;-)
Welcome to the boreds Kathleen! ;-)
jerry27150
Well-known member
never had much luck myself, but i have know some guys that had some some for two to four weeks & they got up. never lifted them but would roll them sometimes
Farminlund
Well-known member
Kathleen":1q7kuywi said:
aplusmnt wrote:
off the top of my head i can recall 6 instances over the years:
case 1: the skunktail -- angus charolais cross, as a heifer was found hiplocked by the pond. calf was dislodged, barely alive- died on the way to vet (breathing problems and/or swelling). we took a flatbed trailer and tilted it down and tied ropes to the heifers legs and rolled her over onto the flatbed and brought her back to he house and put her under a barn out of the rain. rolled her once a day and kind of messed with her face since she didnt like that to agitate her to encourage her to get up. Did this for 3 weeks, she got up during the night one night and jumped the fence and was with herd when we found her. Is now 12 and calved on time every year after. isnt too fond of people...
case 2: another angus heifer bred to limousin. found dead bull calf next to her, she got up two days later. was stiff legged for a long time but got normal. is 11 and one of my favorite and best cows.
case 3: beefmaster heifer out of charolais angus cow. found hiplocked, pulled dead calf. took her 2 weeks to get up, was stiff legged for several months afterwards. Got back to normal and we sold her, open.
case 4: beefmaster heifer, limousin bull calf had to be pulled. massive. cow got up immediately and cleaned calf, laid back down to expel after birth and never got up again. did the rolling thing for 3 weeks, calf nursed the cow while she was laying down. Had to shoot this one, calf selected a new mother to adopt out in pasture. Definitely a fighter of a calf, i mean he was determined to live!
case 5:Charolais second calver had no problems with large calf first go around. second calf was enormous black angus. calf pulled when found , dead, cow never got up. loaded her up, brought her to house, rolled for 4 weeks because she was a fighter but eventually put her down.
case 6: Simmental heifer found hiplocked with black angus bull calf. Dad scooped her up in bucket of tractor (i dont recommend this!) while i wasnt here and brought her to house. was down a week, did the rolling thing, again this one got up during the night and apparently jumped fence. I found her where she had been found calving looking high and low for her calf. for several days she walked back and forth from this spot to the barn calling for her calf. Would have gotten her a baby to adopt but she had been down for a week so we figured she'd dried up. Had a red heifer a few weeks ago for her second calf and is very proud of her.
We now use EPDs to help select bulls for calving ease for heifers. I know there are probably 2 or 3 more cases wehre the cow got up that i cant think of right now. Anyway, I would never EVER shoot a cow with a pinched nerve if she didnt get up before the sun set. To me, thats just dumb! and a waste of money. have never lifted cows before, only rolled them. The longer the nerves are pinched or if the hip or pelvis is damaged the less likely they are to get up. these are my experiences. i
case 1: the skunktail -- angus charolais cross, as a heifer was found hiplocked by the pond. calf was dislodged, barely alive- died on the way to vet (breathing problems and/or swelling). we took a flatbed trailer and tilted it down and tied ropes to the heifers legs and rolled her over onto the flatbed and brought her back to he house and put her under a barn out of the rain. rolled her once a day and kind of messed with her face since she didnt like that to agitate her to encourage her to get up. Did this for 3 weeks, she got up during the night one night and jumped the fence and was with herd when we found her. Is now 12 and calved on time every year after. isnt too fond of people...
case 2: another angus heifer bred to limousin. found dead bull calf next to her, she got up two days later. was stiff legged for a long time but got normal. is 11 and one of my favorite and best cows.
case 3: beefmaster heifer out of charolais angus cow. found hiplocked, pulled dead calf. took her 2 weeks to get up, was stiff legged for several months afterwards. Got back to normal and we sold her, open.
case 4: beefmaster heifer, limousin bull calf had to be pulled. massive. cow got up immediately and cleaned calf, laid back down to expel after birth and never got up again. did the rolling thing for 3 weeks, calf nursed the cow while she was laying down. Had to shoot this one, calf selected a new mother to adopt out in pasture. Definitely a fighter of a calf, i mean he was determined to live!
case 5:Charolais second calver had no problems with large calf first go around. second calf was enormous black angus. calf pulled when found , dead, cow never got up. loaded her up, brought her to house, rolled for 4 weeks because she was a fighter but eventually put her down.
case 6: Simmental heifer found hiplocked with black angus bull calf. Dad scooped her up in bucket of tractor (i dont recommend this!) while i wasnt here and brought her to house. was down a week, did the rolling thing, again this one got up during the night and apparently jumped fence. I found her where she had been found calving looking high and low for her calf. for several days she walked back and forth from this spot to the barn calling for her calf. Would have gotten her a baby to adopt but she had been down for a week so we figured she'd dried up. Had a red heifer a few weeks ago for her second calf and is very proud of her.
We now use EPDs to help select bulls for calving ease for heifers. I know there are probably 2 or 3 more cases wehre the cow got up that i cant think of right now. Anyway, I would never EVER shoot a cow with a pinched nerve if she didnt get up before the sun set. To me, thats just dumb! and a waste of money. have never lifted cows before, only rolled them. The longer the nerves are pinched or if the hip or pelvis is damaged the less likely they are to get up. these are my experiences. i
Thanks so much for all the replies. By the way, I am a dairy farmer, but I guess you all won't hold that against me!!
We lifted her again this a.m. and had surprisingly good results. She was actually able to stand on all four legs for a few minutes before she laid back down again. I was pretty encouraged--not good to get too encouraged though. I was wondering about the length of time that the nerve is pinched...I was afraid to do the lifting thing too soon but we did an awful lot of rolling, let me tell you. Now she is at the point where she will roll herself. If she stays down I guess the nerve stays pinched...is that it?
My other problem with her is one you guys probably don't have, but which has to be solved, and that is ketosis. That can keep a cow with good legs from getting up.
I've had three or four cows with pinched nerves before and they have all recovered, but I am beginning to understand that they all don't recover. This one is a particularly nice heifer.
Anyway, thanks so much for your input. This is the first time I've joined a forum; I was just feeling so lonely with my problem...
We lifted her again this a.m. and had surprisingly good results. She was actually able to stand on all four legs for a few minutes before she laid back down again. I was pretty encouraged--not good to get too encouraged though. I was wondering about the length of time that the nerve is pinched...I was afraid to do the lifting thing too soon but we did an awful lot of rolling, let me tell you. Now she is at the point where she will roll herself. If she stays down I guess the nerve stays pinched...is that it?
My other problem with her is one you guys probably don't have, but which has to be solved, and that is ketosis. That can keep a cow with good legs from getting up.
I've had three or four cows with pinched nerves before and they have all recovered, but I am beginning to understand that they all don't recover. This one is a particularly nice heifer.
Anyway, thanks so much for your input. This is the first time I've joined a forum; I was just feeling so lonely with my problem...
jerry27150
Well-known member
was a dairy farmer most of my life so i surely wouldn't hold that against you!! thanks for the chance to help. always makes a body feel good
It's now two weeks for my heifer--didn't shoot the dang thing, but I was really close last Sunday. I thought--just put her out of her misery. We have an Amishman living with us and he said, let's give her another week, and if he was willing I'd just put the banamine to her and forge ahead.
Well, she came along, first we had to lift her with straps and a come-a-long, and then she would get up if you helped her with her tail. Once up, though, she looked awful--she was dehydrated and thin from not eating or drinking. I thought--shoot the dang thing and put her out of her misery.
Once up, though, she would stand and walk around slowly for hours, and she began to eat, albeit very slowly. Still she wouldn't drink much. I tried calf electrolytes and she inhaled the water if they were in there. So we kept that up. And we found she liked l2% sweet feed that you give horses, and she picked at second cutting.
But her appetite got worse, and I tried IV's with dextrose and tetracycline and that helped a lot. The tips of her ears warmed up and she ate better.
This a.m. she is eating slowly and looking much more filled out. You still have to help her get up but she is much stronger. I think she'll make it.
She's very sweet, milks easy, and at least before she calved, is really a looker. I'm happy we were able to save her--it really a load off my mind. I've done little else besides care for her with my extra time these past two weeks. The satisfaction alone is worth it.
Thanks to everyone. I don't know that much about beef cattle, but in a lot of ways, a cow is a cow, and I guess you just have to love them.
Well, she came along, first we had to lift her with straps and a come-a-long, and then she would get up if you helped her with her tail. Once up, though, she looked awful--she was dehydrated and thin from not eating or drinking. I thought--shoot the dang thing and put her out of her misery.
Once up, though, she would stand and walk around slowly for hours, and she began to eat, albeit very slowly. Still she wouldn't drink much. I tried calf electrolytes and she inhaled the water if they were in there. So we kept that up. And we found she liked l2% sweet feed that you give horses, and she picked at second cutting.
But her appetite got worse, and I tried IV's with dextrose and tetracycline and that helped a lot. The tips of her ears warmed up and she ate better.
This a.m. she is eating slowly and looking much more filled out. You still have to help her get up but she is much stronger. I think she'll make it.
She's very sweet, milks easy, and at least before she calved, is really a looker. I'm happy we were able to save her--it really a load off my mind. I've done little else besides care for her with my extra time these past two weeks. The satisfaction alone is worth it.
Thanks to everyone. I don't know that much about beef cattle, but in a lot of ways, a cow is a cow, and I guess you just have to love them.
Ryder
Well-known member
WTG Kathleen
jerry27150
Well-known member
heres to a job well done, congrats
