Dead Cow Monday

[Wick]

I took the wife to doctor on monday gone 4-5 hrs. came home to find a heavy bred cow bloated up and dead. Cow about 7 yr. old and healthy. Stupid thing layed down in a little ditch about 5 inches deep and 4 ft. across to drain run-off water. Looks as if she layed down got on her side/back and couldn't get up and ended up bloating. Man talk about bad luck for the start of 07. first dead ET calf, now dead cow and unborn calf. Maybe I should switch from cows to raising buzzards.

 

[bigbull338]

I took the wife to doctor on monday gone 4-5 hrs. came home to find a heavy bred cow bloated up and dead. Cow about 7 yr. old and healthy. Stupid thing layed down in a little ditch about 5 inches deep and 4 ft. across to drain run-off water. Looks as if she layed down got on her side/back and couldn't get up and ended up bloating. Man talk about bad luck for the start of 07. first dead ET calf, now dead cow and unborn calf. Maybe I should switch from cows to raising buzzards.

sounds like she just layed down on unlevel ground.an got her feet out from under her an couldnt get up without help.you had tobe there to get her up.it was a freaker accadent.

 

[holly heifer]

:x Been there---done that-----

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

I had one cast herself on the side of the straw pile last year about two weeks before she was due to calve. Its frustrating when it gets that close and then you lose them.

 

[sidney411]

Man, I'm sure sorry to hear that. Sounds like my luck. Don't beat yourself up over it, there's nothing you can do about it. No matter what people say you can't watch them 24/7. $hit happens.

 

[Victoria]

It seems there are good years and bad years. Everything always goes wrong at once. It is awful losing a cow. About 5 years ago I found one with the calf's feet sticking out and she had bloated and died on the uneven ground. Same as you 4 hours in between checks.
Sometimes you save them, sometimes you don't all you can do is your best though. Hope things improve for you.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Sorry for your loss. You're not alone.

3 years ago a friend of ours had a similar situation, except the calf was not an ET calf. He was over to our place, got a call from his sister, we got to his place, calf had to be pulled, it was dead. Came back to our place, 2 hours later got another call one of his heavy breds (about 2 weeks away) had slipped and fallen into the creek on her back, we got there and cow died with her head in his arms while we were trying to get her pulled out. He had a bad day that day.

Katherine

 

[Wewild]

Stupid thing layed down in a little ditch about 5 inches deep and 4 ft. across to drain run-off water. Looks as if she layed down got on her side/back and couldn't get up and ended up bloating.

Sorry for your lose.

I have never seen one bloat that quick after death.

 

[3MR]

Me either

 

[3MR]

Some times a dead cow on its side will appear bloated from all the weight shifting to one side. Just a thought.

 

[manaftergodsheart413]

do you feed quite a bit of grain

 

[Caustic Burno]

I took the wife to doctor on monday gone 4-5 hrs. came home to find a heavy bred cow bloated up and dead. Cow about 7 yr. old and healthy. Stupid thing layed down in a little ditch about 5 inches deep and 4 ft. across to drain run-off water. Looks as if she layed down got on her side/back and couldn't get up and ended up bloating. Man talk about bad luck for the start of 07. first dead ET calf, now dead cow and unborn calf. Maybe I should switch from cows to raising buzzards.

If you aint got them you can't loose them. Welcome to the cattle biz I have lost them to things you would never imagine.
I have seen them calf in ponds and creeks, get there head caught between trees and had one break its neck on a trailer.
The one I still like the best was found the bull in the hay ring he flipped it over himself. Now that was fun getting him out as he was somewhat agitated.

 

[scoot129]

caustic my bull does that all the time with the hay ring. he has now gotten so smart that he gets himself out, which is a plus. I've had a guy come to my house and ask why i put him in there, like i have the guts to do that.

 

[Wick]

no grain to cows, just grass and hay. If they can't do it on that then they need to be at someone else's farm who has lots more money than me.Growing heifers I feed grain to and creep the calves through the winter.

 

[Bama]

Caustic we had the same thing happen years ago. It was a cow though and she had gotten herself caught inside. I reckon she was rubbing on it and it fell over on her. She got halfway out and her and hayring was running everwhere. A much younger me roped her (on foot) and ran to get a tree between us to tieup. The top rail cut her to the bone and I had to hacksaw the sucker off her. All the while trying to dodge the flying hooves and snot. To this day I wont stand a ring on edge without tieing it off.

 

[just learnin]

Sorry about your loss.

I had a heifer get in the hay ring before caustic. She got her self out.

 

[karlie45]

Im sorry for you lost, we have lost one in a similar way.

as far as the hay rings go..We had a heifer get her head caught in a sorting gate...that was scary. She went running dragging the gate with her. I thought for sure she was gonna break her neck.

 

[funky 4-Her]

A few months ago we had a bred heifer get stuck b/w the bars on the hay ring.... we figure she was going after one that was in heat and fell off and got stuck. We cut her out but she had been in there so long the bars had put holes in her side so as to speak. when we got her out you could tell she was in a lot of pain, she could hardly walk. We had to have her put down.

 

[cowbub]

if you have livestock then you are going to have dead stock . one of the best peices of equipment we have ever owned was a backhoe to bury dead cows and calves. I often wonder after 40 yrs of tending cows why I still put up with it .but when spring comes and calves start hitting the ground everything greens up except my bank account,Hope srings eternal..[/list]