Cow losing weight

[hillbillycwo]

Hello, I am new to the cattle raising and have purchased 21 cows and 1 bull. I have them on an old farm in central Kentucky and they are being looked after by my very experienced brother-in-law. I was raised around cattle but not actually on the farm. I have always loved the life and have married into a farming family (19 years ago). My cows are being fed ample hay with 10 gallons of feed being given in ample feed bunks three or four times a week to keep them gentle and provide extra nutrition. The cows were placed on the farm in October of 09 and were a little thin. They were wormed with pour on and vacinated the same way my brother-in-law has done it successfully for years on the family farm. All cows but one are doing well. this one did well and gained her weight back but now is two months from calving and has begun to lose weight. She got up and came to the feed bunk and ate but has lost appetite for the hay. Water is readily available and is pure spring water from a source approx. 400 feet from the hay feeding spot. My cows are very docile and seem to not fight at the feed bunks or hay. As my cows are checked on a daily to every other day rotation I do not think she has slipped a calf, she does not present any evidence of metal and this is a relatively sudden occurance. If she is not better by Saturday we will take her to the vet or if she starts declining rapidly the vet will be summoned ricky tick. Any ideas? Lee

 

[TexasBred]

Hillbilly I think I'd do as you mentioned...take her to the vet....but don't wait til Saturday. Do it asap if at all possible. Best of luck to you.

 

[ChrisB]

I don't really have much to add to that. Too many people (myself included) wait and see if they will get better on their own or with a shot of LA200 and then when things aren't looking good they call the vet and expect to see a rapid recovery when the animal is too far gone. And as I said, I'm as bad as anybody. If you do get the vet out make sure you pay attention and ask a lot of questions even about other cows or potential problems, most vets I've dealt with are more than willing to help educate you. I've even had a vet walk me through procedures the first time or two they came up so I could do it my self in the future.

If I haven't had the vet out all year and something odd comes up I am more willing to give him a call just to keep in touch and give him some business. But on the other hand if I called the vet out everytime a cow is limping or a calf has a snotty nose there is no way I would make any money.

 

[randiliana]

It is also possible that she has a set of twins in her. The time would be right for her to start going down hill. The last trimester (3 months) is when the fetus really starts to grow. This takes more energy for the cow. With a set of twins, she has 2 calves requiring that energy, and they are starting to take up more room which means she can't eat as much, which in turn means she is actually getting even less energy.. Most cows with twins will lose weight, most will be just fine although a little thinner than one would like. But the odd cow will lose so much that eventually they literally go down, even to the point where they may lose the calves, or may not be able to deliver them. You may need to feed this cow a higher energy ration that meets her needs better.

By all means, have a vet check her out (he probably won't be able to tell you definitively that she's having twins or not) there are many reasons for a cow to lose weight, it could be as simple as twins or it could be as serious as some diseases (Johne's for example)

 

[Alice]

Can you have your Brother-in-law load the cow and take her to the vet? You'd have everything to gain, and very little to lose money wise, at least if the large animal vets charge the same where you live as they do here...if you bring the animal to them.

If that cow has something wrong with it, and it sounds like she very well does, Sunday is way too long to wait. Is the cow hanging her head...are the ears drooping forward...is she coughing? Lots of the things can indicate something wrong...especially if she's obviously losing weight.

Just my 2 cents.

Alice

 

[hillbillycwo]

Thanks for the advice. The cow went to the feed bunk like normal. Determined to get her fair share. She shows no real symptoms of sickness other than a lack of interest in the hay. As I am not in the area and am taking a huge risk by relying on family to watch over my cows I tried to mitigate risk by buying young stock to calve in spring when the grass greens up. I have had success in the past doing this but on a smaller scale. I feel that my cows are being watched closely enough by family and that this particular cow has ingested something she should not have or is being bullied at the bale or maybe she slipped a calf and is fighting an infection. Are these plausible for the weight loss? She is not nor does she appear close to going down like it is serious. I just believe in getting an early start and we are very particular about our cattle...especiallly ones that we are using as base stock for the future. Thanks again. Lee

 

[Alice]

Thanks for the advice. The cow went to the feed bunk like normal. Determined to get her fair share. She shows no real symptoms of sickness other than a lack of interest in the hay. As I am not in the area and am taking a huge risk by relying on family to watch over my cows I tried to mitigate risk by buying young stock to calve in spring when the grass greens up. I have had success in the past doing this but on a smaller scale. I feel that my cows are being watched closely enough by family and that this particular cow has ingested something she should not have or is being bullied at the bale or maybe she slipped a calf and is fighting an infection. Are these plausible for the weight loss? She is not nor does she appear close to going down like it is serious. I just believe in getting an early start and we are very particular about our cattle...especiallly ones that we are using as base stock for the future. Thanks again. Lee

I would say all of the above are plausible...and a quick check by the vet can determine what it is. Waiting any longer could make the treatment last longer and cost more...or the cow could go down hill real quick. And, if it's nothing, then you will have peace of mind.

Alice

 

[hillbillycwo]

Thanks Alice. I hope that she doesn't go down quick. My brother-in-law will check on her today but he must feed hay and he works public work too. If she is bad he is gonna have the vet come out and try to get her in the barn. I can't wait to get my cattle handling facilities in. That will make that task much easier for him until I retire from the navy and get home to manage my farm locally. We are just trying to get the herd paid for over the next few calving seasons and expect to loose a few cows due to the risk. We just do not want unnecessary suffering. Livestock is a synonym for deadstock I realize with the risks we are taking. I will post tomorrow as to what he finds out this evening. Additionally, my neighbor is helping watch my cows sso they are being well looked after and actually the 22 is going through a ton of ground corn mixture from our feed mill in three weeks. Plus very good quality fescue/red clover hay. We use free access mineral and salt with no noticeable increase in her consumption. I thought maybe she was having toxicity issues which can result in increases in mineral consumption right?

We have seen cows do this before. She was just noticed to be losing weight over the past few days and it isn't a drastic weight change. I am thinking that she is also one of two cows that I never really liked the looks of. I bought a lock/stock/barrel herd of first and second calf heifers angus, murray and charlois crosses with an angus bull. I am thinking about putting a limosine or a simmetal bull on them when I get ready to start keeping replacements. She may very well grow wheels soon if we see a pattern here. Lee

 

[hillbillycwo]

Thought I would give an update. I do apppreciate the replies. I have a lot to learn and man are these lessons expensive. Talked with brother-in-law last night and cow was at the hay bale eating. She doesn't exhibit any signs of Johnnes disease or signs she has ingested metal. No telling what it is. There hasn't been cattle on there in the last ten years so I can't see it being something contagous as these cows were bought as a group in October off of a local farm. I am thinking that twin possibility may be plausible or something to do with the digestive track. Could she have a twisted gut? I would think she would go down faster with increased water intake. Her attitude isn't quite as perky so that is a bad sign. Hopefully she does okay until Saturday and we can get her up then.

 

[Alice]

Thought I would give an update. I do apppreciate the replies. I have a lot to learn and man are these lessons expensive. Talked with brother-in-law last night and cow was at the hay bale eating. She doesn't exhibit any signs of Johnnes disease or signs she has ingested metal. No telling what it is. There hasn't been cattle on there in the last ten years so I can't see it being something contagous as these cows were bought as a group in October off of a local farm. I am thinking that twin possibility may be plausible or something to do with the digestive track. Could she have a twisted gut? I would think she would go down faster with increased water intake. Her attitude isn't quite as perky so that is a bad sign. Hopefully she does okay until Saturday and we can get her up then.

A twisted gut...hmmm...read this and see if anything sounds close...I'd almost think that if was a twisted gut the cow would be in worse shape than she is by now...or dead.

http://www.cattlegrower.com/forum/3/top ... dex/3/3#66

Thanks for the update...let us know how it all turns out, will ya'?

Alice

 

[hillbillycwo]

Alice I agree with you I don't think twisted gut now. I read the post you linked me too and if the gut was twisted she would be dead by now. Tiem will tell. My brother-in-law had a cow that did that last year and she had an exceptional calf and weaned it at almost 700 pounds. She is fine now. So I don't know I am leaning towards wait and see. Danny is gonna check her daily and see if she increases her appetite. If not saturday she goes to the vet and maybe on to the saturday market from the vet if she still ambulates. Something out of her is better than nothing. Lee

 

[dun]

Why not stick a fever stick up her butt and see if she has a low grade fever? Can;t hurt and just might help

 

[hillbillycwo]

Mr. Dun, Thanks for that I have never done it and would if I were home. Had I been home she would already be getting vitamins, LA200 and be in the barn on feed and orchardgrass hay. With out improvement quick the vet would be fully engaged by now. My brother-in-law is a good cattleman but he has raised his herd over the years mine was bought so I tend to be a little more aggressive with these situations.

Hard to do the temp thing in the field is the problem, unless she gets down. If she gets down or saturday gets here she will go to the vet. Got a feeling though if she isn't down the vet will blame her weight loss on fescue (lol). The weight loss actually has been very gradual, that is what has me confused as typically (correct me if needed) cows lose weight quick when they get sick and/or go down quick when sick or injured at least what my limited experience shows. Wish I was there to deal with this myself. But I am not and must rely on other people. A risk that unfortunately I am forced to take until December when Wife and son move home.

This farm is really run down and there are no cattle handling facilities. Everyone has to start somewhere. We have it perimeter fenced with three pastures. There is a good barn there and in February I am installing a chutte and head catch. We do have a place to load the cows and I am expanding that. I guess I put the cart before the horse and should have put the facility in place before the cows but then again I did not factor in trouble with the cows. There again lesson learned, now we will see how much this one costs me. Good thing my living right now is Navy pay and not farm income. That is why we bought the cows and the farm before retirement. Try to learn as much as possible now while we can eat before we go hungry paying for those lessons down the road. LOL. Lee

 

[Cowdirt]

Lee, I had a cow that was losing weight. It was time to wean her calf and I thought she would begin gaining after that. She continued to gradually go down hill. During our recent cold weather she started standing with her head down and quit eating. She had a froth coming from her mouth and stunk like the dickens. I took her to the vet. She had 105 temp. The vet diagnosed her problem as aspirational pneumonia. He said a dairy cow would have already died. He advised me to take her without treatment to the sale the next day. I did.

 

[hillbillycwo]

We are planning on taking her to the vet tomorrow. Only sure way to know. She was seen eating hay yesterday with the rest of the herd. Probably take her to the vet and find out she had sore foot and didn't feel like climbing the hill to eat. Will let you know monday what we find out.

 

[Alice]

We are planning on taking her to the vet tomorrow. Only sure way to know. She was seen eating hay yesterday with the rest of the herd. Probably take her to the vet and find out she had sore foot and didn't feel like climbing the hill to eat. Will let you know monday what we find out.

Is she limping? :shock: Sorry, couldn't help myself.

If she does have something extremely minor going on, or even nothing going on, you will have peace of mind knowing instead of wondering. And if she does have a problem needing vet assistance, that can now be provided.

Please, let us know what you find.

Alice

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

And, OBTW - THANKS for serving our COUNTRY!!! :tiphat:

 

[hillbillycwo]

Wow...someone who has the capacity to match a sailor's level of sarcasm...LMAO!!! No noticable limp. I am thinking either a touch of pnuemonia or some bruised ribs. I got one old cow that is a real &*(*% and throws her weight around. She gets shipped first. I bought her cheap to get a calf out of her and then sell her either as a pair or 500# calf and slaughter cow. Tried to factor in a little flexability with market conditions. Thinking about buying a few more older cows this fall when the market gets flooded again if I have enough pasture and hay. I like that little edge on the market. There are not many older cows out there right now since we are so close to those tough drought years. Lots of folks had to sell off their older herd animals because of pasture and hay reestraints. But all that aside loved the jab and the banter.

 

[MoGal]

Well, guessing and not knowing your situation........

what is "ample" hay? Do you put out a round bale and when its gone then add another? Is it hay that's been outside for 3 years and is just now being fed. Is it poor quality hay? Did it get rained on several times before it got baled? Many here in MO faced that last summer and we ourselves didn't get our first cutting of alfalfa until the time of second cutting.
I realize you say the others are in good shape but perhaps this cow is older and is going to show signs of going down first and the others won't be far behind.

I personally, am not convinced that pour on wormer is what it used to be. I think they've either changed the concentration or else the worms are getting immuned to it.
I've given ivermect plus IM as well as a dose of Valbazen at the same time to a couple of cows and we didn't lose them, however do talk to your vet before you do the same. It wasn't the way we normally do this, but hubby was busy in the hayfields at the time and he didn't have time to help and you've stated you do not have cow facilities so you'd just about have to do this when you're at the vet. Normally, we give the ivermect injectible and then anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks later follow it up with valbazen. You don't mention the age of this cow, but I've found that if I purchase outside aged cows I give the valbazen first because most people just use the pour on every year and that's it and its not adequate. I believe there may be other brands, but most are too pricey to me $325-$500 for a jug and the valbazen is $35-$40 for the btl. I will say that for every cow I've ever given it to, they did increase their weight and now we use it on all the calves when we wean them and I feel it makes a significant difference to them.

Please keep us posted as to what the vet says.

 

[hillbillycwo]

We don't test our hay but the weather conditions, cutting conditions etc were perfect for us. We store our hay inside and this is first cutting hay. We have fescue/red clover mixed hay and pasture fields. the cow is only 3 and this is her second calf.

We tried to get her up saturday but she runs like a deer so that didn't happen. She is eating fine now and her demeanor is normal. She is keeping that face in the hay and is the first to the feed bunk. So with that said thanks for the advice we are going to watch her for a few days and see if she continues to do well. If she goes down the vet will be called. However, at this point I am thinking vapor lock. LOL. Lee