emergency, calves dead

[bubchub]

Four days ago drove out to the pasture and foud a dead 450lb. steer dead. I cut his leg open and checked for blackleg and didn't see anything that looked weird. put out hay day before and he looked fine. I kind of blew it off and checked them today to find another dead calf. came back with a little later and found a calf that was skinny and sick looking . it had real bad scours. What's wrong? How can I treat it so it doesn't spread. Please help!!!!!!!!

 

[OldTex]

What's wrong? How can I treat it so it doesn't spread. Please help!!!!!!!!

You shopld have already called your vet.

 

[Texan]

Do like Old Tex said and call your vet! Isolate the sick one. Hopefully you've already properly disposed of the deads. Be sure you tell your vet that you need the lecture about cutting into a calf that died from unknown reasons so that you could look for something "weird."

 

[bubchub]

I was looking for blackleg. It is pretty common here. We gave him some antibiotics. We're planning to doctor him some more tomorrow. (when we caught him it was already dark) going to give seven way vaccine to all the cows he's been exposed to tomorrow.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I was looking for blackleg. It is pretty common here. We gave him some antibiotics. We're planning to doctor him some more tomorrow. (when we caught him it was already dark) going to give seven way vaccine to all the cows he's been exposed to tomorrow.

If it is blackleg the muscle under the hide should fell like a bag of Frito's, no need to cut the hide.
Blackleg should be very rare if you vacinate your calfs.

 

[bubchub]

I was looking for blackleg. It is pretty common here. We gave him some antibiotics. We're planning to doctor him some more tomorrow. (when we caught him it was already dark) going to give seven way vaccine to all the cows he's been exposed to tomorrow.

If it is blackleg the muscle under the hide should fell like a bag of Frito's, no need to cut the hide.
Blackleg should be very rare if you vacinate your calfs.

We have never really had any blackleg personally, so we didn't vaccinate. The calves have only been around my cows and the only newcomers were two bulls . one from Missouri and one from Texas

 

[txag]

I was looking for blackleg. It is pretty common here.

We have never really had any blackleg personally, so we didn't vaccinate.

you should be vaccinating for blackleg whether it's common in your area or not.

Caustic's right......if it's blackleg, it should crinkle like tissue paper under the skin when you push on it.

i'd certainly have a vet come out & look, but you mention the scours & losing weight. did you notice any blood in the scours? maybe coccidiosis?

 

[Beefy]

what kind of hay did you put out the day before?

 

[txshowmom]

EVERYONE should vaccinate for blackleg!!!

 

[bubchub]

what kind of hay did you put out the day before?

Coastal bermuda/bahia mix. some left over from last year. just feeding it to them while grass is short

 

[bubchub]

EVERYONE should vaccinate for blackleg!!!

I know now. After looking at the calves and not seeing anything visibly wrong, I think our neighbors shot them. They're always shooting out at their house like wild men. Anyway, we gave some Tylan 200 and Biomycin to the sickly ones and vaccinated all of the other ones. I need to go talk to my neighbor.

 

[Texan]

After looking at the calves and not seeing anything visibly wrong, I think our neighbors shot them.

Did you really say that?

 

[Texan]

You still haven't had the vet out, have you?

 

[bubchub]

No we didn't have the vet out. The first calf when I found him it was almost dark. By the time dad got out of the house to lookat it it was pretty late. In the morning dad had to go to work and I had to go to school. By the afternoon it was a pile of bones. The other calf was in a million pieces when I found it. I really think that the neighbor DID shoot them. Calves had the scours because their moms are drying up to wean them and they're having to eat more grass.

 

[kjerckie]

If you plan on talking to your neighbor, after you have proof of a bullet wound... take the Sheriff with you!

 

[Caustic Burno]

If you plan on talking to your neighbor, after you have proof of a bullet wound... take the Sheriff with you!

You better get proof before you go to making accusations on another mans property in Texas.

 

[TheBullLady]

If the calves had blackleg, depending on how long they were dead before you found them, you may not have seen any evidence! We lost some years ago and the vet said you can only hear the "papery" sound if they are still warm.

Have you done any excavating recently? Blackleg typically is in the soil, and will become prevelant if you've done any digging. (Tank, etc.)

 

[Fleckvieh DPB]

so
what was it?
was it the neighbour or blackleg or......
was there any bullet wound?

 

[bubchub]

We figured out that it was our stupid, old Quarterhorse mare. We went out to the pasture the other day and heard a loud "thunk" and looked over to see the mare kick one right in the head. We got the old nag out of the pasture,put her in an electric fence, threw her a bale of hay and haven't had any more trouble, thank goodness.

 

[Craig-TX]

Instead of a bale of hay I would have thrown her a 270 grain slug.

Craig-TX