Cow with black muzzle after giving birth

[Becky]

One of our Gelbvieh cows had a stillborn calf. 1 1/2 weeks before this, her muzzle turned very dark. We kept expecting her to deliver anyday by the way she was acting and finally called the vet and he said she wasn't ready. A few days later the calf was stillborn. Her muzzle is still very dark and she is practically wild where before she was very gentle. Anyone heard of that discoloration and what it could be. The vet said it didn't mean anything but I think it is too coincidental.

Thanks,
Becky

 

[Victoria]

I can't think of any deficiency of anything that would make the hair darker, maybe if the hair went white but not darker...
You don't give your location - is it possible that she shed at about the same time - their winter coat can sometimes be lighter and hide dark muzzles.
As for the disposition a still-born calf can cause them to lose it.
Sorry I am not more help.

 

[Becky]

I live in Kentucky. She looked just like all the other cows until this. Actually when I noticed the black it was the day before we had the blizzard in February because we had them in the barn knowing the storm was coming and she was ready to calve. So it's looked this way for 2 months.
Is there a chance she will never recover and always have a wild disposition?
Thanks,
Becky
Kentucky

 

[milkmaid]

How long had you owned her before she calved?

 

[Beefy]

what had she been eating?

 

[Victoria]

Becky,
Very odd, you don't happen to be a picture taker and maybe have a before and after shot? Did the vet give you an educated guess on why the calf was still-born?

As for disposition it really depends on the cow. I have seen them go both ways. Had one that had a dead calf and she was certain I was the cause. I couldn't get near her, had a calf the next year and I couldn't be within 50 feet of her calf without her charging- needless to say she left us. I've had others that seem to relax with time and some that relax are touchy with their calves the first year following a dead calf. I would like to get a better definition of what you consider very gentle and practically wild. That's different for different people. I will tell you this, if you could pat her before and she came up to be scratched and now she is shaking her head at you load her up today. Don't keep a pet cow gone mean. They have no fear and if they decide they don't like you and they don't fear you then you could be asking for trouble.

 

[Becky]

I'll check to see if I have a picture, as I have taken pictures of them latelly. By very gentle, she's not a pet but we could get within a foot of her and she would touch us on her terms. Now she runs within 30 feet or more of her. My husband was the one who found her with the calf and he thought the same thing, that she associated him with her losing the calf. She was eating mixed grass hay at the time but so were all the others who look normal and have live calves. We did not call the vet after she delivered. She appeared to be fine physically in all other ways.
Thanks,
Becky

 

[TheBullLady]

I can't help you with the black muzzle dilemma, but the cow becoming "crazy" is no doubt because she associates the loss of her calf with you and your husband. It will be hard to regain her trust, and she may never be like she was prior to this happening.

We have a Brahman cow that was very friendly.. you could scratch her, etc. The year we lost about 7 calves to arsenic poisoning, her young calf was one of the ones we lost. When we found the four dead calves, we started looking at the others, and he obviously hadn't eaten. So to save time, we just stuffed him and three others into the trailer and hauled down to A & M.. knowing we could come back home and pen the cows and haul them. Anyway, he ended up dyeing there.. and she has never forgotten. She's not wild or anything, but doesn't trust us at all anymore.