cows dying

[coonhunter7580]

had 2 cows die, 1 500lb calf (3 in all) die in 7 days seem to be fine the day before they are found all seem to be bloated with legs stuck straight out gound not torn up around them no swelling with gas underneath.

 

[Campground Cattle]

had 2 cows die, 1 500lb calf (3 in all) die in 7 days seem to be fine the day before they are found all seem to be bloated with legs stuck straight out gound not torn up around them no swelling with gas underneath.

Feel the muscles in the back legs if it feel like Fritos its balckleg. Do you vacinate.

 

[Texan]

What did the vet say? I know that you haven't lost two cows and a calf in a week without involving a vet.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Wow lose 3 cows and come to an internet board for help duh.
Does sound like Blackleg lets see you lost 1500 dollars plus because you were to cheap to spend 2 dollars on vaccine.

 

[docgraybull]

Any chance someone is using them for target practice?

 

[Bama]

I agree it sounds like blackleg. Are they running on a pasture that has had a lot of moisture lately. Blackleg can creep up. Feeling the leg is a sure fire way to tell. Bloated and legs stuck out are indicaters, I would get the rest of them vaccinated as quickly as possible, better yet faster than that. If they have not been vaccinated in the past expect to lose a couple more.

 

[jgn]

Are their any signs of where the cow or calf had been thrashing about after it went down. Could it have been grass tetany, are they on mineral supplements and what kind of pasture are they on?

 

[Big D]

I would suspect they are simply bloating, likely the pasture is rather lush and growing rapidly. This time of year, it is common for us to have problems as the wheat pasture is growing rapidly. I lost three a few weeks ago. I keep a non-ionic surfactant in the drinking water. This usally helps tremendously. A couple of weeks ago we got an inch or so of rain which filled some water holes. I believe most of the cattle were drinking from these instead of thier tank and therefore they were not consuming the surfactant.

However, if bloat can be ruled out as the cause, Then who knows, as any time an animal dies sooner or later it will bloat up.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

With blackleg being the most obvious choice, I've seen cattle do exactly what you are describing in another case. It was the result of lightning. The cowboys on the ranch I was working at said it was tell tale sign to see them all four sticking straight up and blowed up like balloons. Don't know why, but in that particular case there were 3 standing next to each other and it got all 3 of them. Better have a vet give something better to go on.

 

[G.Marc Renwick]

If scattered out over 7 days not logically lightening but Clostridium(blackleg et.al.).If vaccinated and/or boostered ,you could rule that out too.Acute death is scarey, but is wake-up call to vaccinateand/or call vet.Good luck.

 

[Scotty]

Since were on him hard I say it is that "lack of brain disease." Dude really if you are going to try and have animals you should try and take care of them. This is the reason people want to get rid of animal ag. and might have some success.


Scotty

 

[Beefy]

I'm thinking they are bloating too. that was my first instinct. If you ever come back to this post which you probably wont since everyone rimmed you about vaccinating before you even had a chance to respond, what kind of pasture are these animals on? the reason i think they are bloating rather than dying from black leg is b/c you say they are " bloated with legs stuck straight out ground not torn up around them no swelling with gas underneath." the part about the legs with no swelling with gas underneath seems to suggest that you might know enough about blackleg to have investigated that for the cracking noise. Although, i wouldnt rule it out, i would think that bloat would be more likely, especially if there are a lot of legumes in the pasture. I know the clover here is growing like crazy right now.

 

[ga. prime]

Beefy, you ever figure out why Tarzan doesn't have a beard?

 

[Medic24]

Sounds possible that you could have 'neglectotoxemia' going on there. There is a cure. But may be too late for alot of your cattle. As always, sorry to see that. :cboy:

 

[cowspider]

Cows dying for any reason is sad. Maybe some of the more expereanced cattlemen could give this newbie, (my guess coonhunter is a newbie) some kind of a list of needed shots for cow/calf operation :?: :cboy:

 

[ga. prime]

coonhunter has left the building.

 

[Crowderfarms]

Medic,
You do know there's only one cure for 'neglectotoxemia'...A " neglectorotomy". Common cure for "dontgivadamitis"

 

[Medic24]

So true, but on second thought, I am not a Vet, and I don't play one on TV, although I always wanted to, and I am not in this poor guys shoes, thus I have no idea what he is truly fighting here,
Maybe he in fact does have a healthy vaccine program in place and does all the right things as best he can, and is still lossing them to 'something'.
We all do that, don't we?

It is a shame though for so many folks that have animals of all sorts that never think of preventative medicine until treatment it needed. The old adage of a pound of cure vs, an ounce of prevention............. :cboy:

 

[Campground Cattle]

So true, but on second thought, I am not a Vet, and I don't play one on TV, although I always wanted to, and I am not in this poor guys shoes, thus I have no idea what he is truly fighting here,
Maybe he in fact does have a healthy vaccine program in place and does all the right things as best he can, and is still lossing them to 'something'.
We all do that, don't we?

It is a shame though for so many folks that have animals of all sorts that never think of preventative medicine until treatment it needed. The old adage of a pound of cure vs, an ounce of prevention............. :cboy:

You are so right on as the money to be made is on the front end. I am tighter than a crabs butt and thats waterproof, some things you just can't cut corners on.

 

[buckaroo_bif]

Sounds possible that you could have 'neglectotoxemia' going on there. There is a cure. But may be too late for alot of your cattle. As always, sorry to see that. :cboy:

i knew this feller that had neglectotoxemia in his herd a few years back

he lost 42 head! :shock: