Dead cow, just venting

[wade]

I have had 2 cows die in the exact same spot in my barnyard and exactly a year apart, to the day. Next to my fence there is a small dip in the ground. Like an old dead furrow from plowing or something similar. Cow lays down in it, cant move toward the fence because its electric and cant get its feet under because its feet are uphill. Lays there and bloats and dies. Grrrr. Thought the first time was a freak accident, now it happened again. This depression isn't 18 inches deep. I did fill it in pretty well after dragging the last dead one out of there. She was a bred 4 year old black white face.

 

[slick4591]

Hate to hear it. Sounds like you need a little more dirt.

 

[Lucky_P]

Doesn't take much of a dip or slope to end up with a dead cow, if they get cast with their feet uphill.
Have seen it too many times to mention. Folks wouldn't think it, but it happens with some frequency.

Have a dairy acquaintance in OH who related how he, his father, and grandfather had been calving cows in a lot close to the barn for 50+ years, that had a little swale in it, and every night before bed, they'd check cows, always walking to the top of that little hump and looking at the other side of the slope; the ONE night that he didn't walk to the top of that little hump and look over it, a cow got cast, bloated and died.

Sounds like you need a little more fill in that spot.

 

[inyati13]

What keeps this from happening out in pasture. I have all sort of unlevel laying ground. I am assuming they have some sense about how they locate a spot to lay down. In cases where they pick a bad spot, would they not roll over in a down hill direction to get their feet down hill?

 

[redcowsrule33]

They usually do have enough sense to lay right, but once in awhile one will cast herself. Happens in the pasture just as easy as anywhere else.

 

[regolith]

What keeps this from happening out in pasture. I have all sort of unlevel laying ground. I am assuming they have some sense about how they locate a spot to lay down. In cases where they pick a bad spot, would they not roll over in a down hill direction to get their feet down hill?

It does happen in pasture but every case I've seen of it for a good long while there's been an underlying cause... the cow was already weak or had metabolic issues. I suspect a strong healthy cow can rock herself out of an uncomfortable position where a weaker one can't, though she can still sit up/get up if pulled to level ground.
Have you ever seen a cow roll herself right over? Anyone? 'cause I know for sure I haven't.

 

[Anonymous]

What keeps this from happening out in pasture. I have all sort of unlevel laying ground. I am assuming they have some sense about how they locate a spot to lay down. In cases where they pick a bad spot, would they not roll over in a down hill direction to get their feet down hill?

It does happen in pasture but every case I've seen of it for a good long while there's been an underlying cause... the cow was already weak or had metabolic issues. I suspect a strong healthy cow can rock herself out of an uncomfortable position where a weaker one can't, though she can still sit up/get up if pulled to level ground.
Have you ever seen a cow roll herself right over? Anyone? 'cause I know for sure I haven't.

There was Jo's bull sunning his belly I've heard of. Other than that I haven't seen one roll itself

 

[snake67]

It is called being "cast"

Hate to say this but we have lost two here to the same thing over the past ten years.

Bez

 

[tom4018]

Doesn't take much of a dip or slope to end up with a dead cow, if they get cast with their feet uphill.
Have seen it too many times to mention. Folks wouldn't think it, but it happens with some frequency.

Have a dairy acquaintance in OH who related how he, his father, and grandfather had been calving cows in a lot close to the barn for 50+ years, that had a little swale in it, and every night before bed, they'd check cows, always walking to the top of that little hump and looking at the other side of the slope; the ONE night that he didn't walk to the top of that little hump and look over it, a cow got cast, bloated and died.

Sounds like you need a little more fill in that spot.

Had a 3 year old that was about to calve do it last year. Saw a neighbors struggling a few years ago, if she would have tried to go downhill she could have gotten up but she kept trying to roll uphill. We had to take a loader and get her to go the other way.

 

[Lucky_P]

Saw it on multiple occasions back when I was in practice. Normal, strong, healthy cows will sometimes lie down wrong, or get knocked down, and if there's even a slight slope, or their back is down in a slight depression, they can't get back up. Without help, they will bloat and die.
Still recall a call early in my career - woman called, frantic; they were feeding hay off a farm wagon, and a 'boss' cow knocked one of the others down and 'it couldn't get up!' I jumped in the truck and raced the 20 miles or so - and yes, it was on a fairly good slope (southern middle TN). I just grabbed a rear leg and flipped her over so her legs were downhill, she jumped to her feet and started burping off the gas that had built up in her rumen in the 30 minutes or so that she was cast. It's gratifying, and folks are amazed that that's all it takes to correct the situation.

Lost a 400-lb Holstein steer here about 15 years ago to getting cast on the side of the hill just below the house. Dead before I found him.

 

[Son of Butch]

It's a shame Wade, sorry.
An old fella told me once, anyone raising livestock is gonna have dead-stock. A shame that it happens, but it happens.

 

[wade]

Thank you all for your replies. Doesn't fix the problem but glad Im not the only one that has ever had this happen. I did fill this dip in some. When I can get in there in the spring I will be disking this and getting the dips out. Im from Michigan. The barn lot is almost all dirt due to cows. What could a person seed in it that would provide some grass and hold up for awhile for grazing?

 

[CKC1586]

Thank you all for your replies. Doesn't fix the problem but glad Im not the only one that has ever had this happen. I did fill this dip in some. When I can get in there in the spring I will be disking this and getting the dips out. Im from Michigan. The barn lot is almost all dirt due to cows. What could a person seed in it that would provide some grass and hold up for awhile for grazing?

Try putting some crushed lime stone or pea gravel in bottom of hole and then dirt on top. That just may work. Good luck, sorry about your cow.