FATAL CALF 3 -- PHOTOS

[CowCop]

Hi All,


Another mystery for you to solve.

Hereford Cow # 190 age 8-10

Hereford/Angus bull calf # 15
DOB early am 4/29/04
Up and nursing quickly.

Had seen the calf nursing from a distance 5/2/04

On 5/3/04 noticed the calf standing in a wide stream, that seperates their pastures, standing still in the water for more than 10 minutes-- so I went down and "assisted" him across the stream to his mother.

It was at this time I suspected something may be wrong with this calf and snapped a few photos, AND mentioned my concerns to the owner of the cow & calf.

Calf was found dead 5/5/04

COMMENTS ?

 

[dun]

Calf may have been nursing, but was it getting anything to eat? From the hair on his face I would say he wasn't getting adequate milk. But I'm used to calves having so much milk that there faces look sticky when the milk drys.
Calf also appears sort of humped up, but that could just be the way he is moving.

dun

dun

 

[Jake]

with the way her bags looks it looks to me like she was never sucked... he may have had trouble getting those mega-tits in his mouth too...

 

[frenchie]

I agree with Dun...I think that calf starved to death.

 

[WORANCH]

IF the calf was able to suck the front tits it did not get enought milk .
this cow needs to be dog food .

 

[milkmaid]

From a dairy perspective...that's an awfully poorly put-together udder. She looks like she milks out of all four quarters (vs. having a 'blind' quarter), but she prolly doesn't give much milk from the front quarters.

Cute calf.

 

[CattleAnnie]

Just from glancing at the picture and from what you've said about the calf :

1. That was an old cow from the looks of her bag (structure gone to hell)
2. That calf never did get on a hind teat (judging by amount the dirt on the teats)
3. The calf was obviously under or unfed (by looking at how bony he looks over the back and hips)

So here goes...

I'd venture to say that the old girl was at the end of her production years as far as milking ability goes, either next to no milk in those front quarters or blind from previous injury ie. mastitis.

Another possibility is that she may have had a slight blockage at the teat opening. Alot of times when a calf isn't have much success sucking or I've got to assist, I've noticed a "scab" or internal "pea" sized blockage on teats, and have had to work them off or out of the teat before there was an adequate flow of milk. I've mostly come across this phenomena in older, mature cows.

In short, not intending to be nasty, but there's some basic animal husbandry missing on this outfit, if one can go by the pictures you're sending in. Maybe it's just because of the climate up here, but to us calving is a full time job. Double time, to be precise. I never consider a calf having sucked unless I see milk bubbles on his chin or milk dripping from his mouth when he's on the teat (that's about when he'll start wagging his tail to beat the band), and when cows are due to calve, checking a minimum of every hour (day and night), and that's in good weather (minus 15 or better, low wind, and no precipitation). Snowstorms, high wind and lower temps mean sometimes every twenty minutes you'll find either Honey or I in the barnyard checking the breds and the pairs...and it's a five minute hike from the house. Such is life, but it beats losing babies and therefore money.

We run into wrecks here too, and I know that hindfeet first calves are a son of a gun (you've gotta get them out quickly, or like that calf, they'll stress out and die...sometimes the cow doesn't get the bag off the head, and they suffocate too), but that cow looks like she was hung up with that calf for hours.

So a friendly suggestion for the humane care of those cattle would be that somebody keep a closer eye on them during calving time. Yeah, getting cows into a handling facility when you're unsure if the calf has sucked can be work, but that's life, and ultimately sometimes, as probably in the case of the calf in the photos, the difference between that calf's life and death.

Take care.

 

[Beefy]

I agree with everyone else. Looks like there was little milk to begin with, the back quarter has definitely not been nursed for whatever reason (hard bag, large teat, dummy calf).

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Even I'll chime in on this one. My first thought was that the calf looks hungry. Then I saw the pic of the udder....yikes! No wonder he looks hungry. My guess, like the others, is he didn't get enough milk. I would be inclined to cull that cow, mainly because of her udder.

 

[greatgerts]

With a bad udder like that and losing a calf, I would have made sure that she was on the next trailer to the sale barn. I have had the problem a few times, but it was all in "learning". Only lost one calf, and that was when it all changed. Had 2 cow families like that and the udders didn't go bad until they were around 5 or so ---so if you kept your females to build your herd and all they had were heifers...Kinda sunk.
I am guessing this "owner" was pretty clueless about cattle, and from all of CowCop's pics, shouldn't have had cattle in the first place. Pretty sad when you think about it.

 

[docgraybull]

With a bad udder like that and losing a calf, I would have made sure that she was on the next trailer to the sale barn. I have had the problem a few times, but it was all in "learning". Only lost one calf, and that was when it all changed. Had 2 cow families like that and the udders didn't go bad until they were around 5 or so ---so if you kept your females to build your herd and all they had were heifers...Kinda sunk.
I am guessing this "owner" was pretty clueless about cattle, and from all of CowCop's pics, shouldn't have had cattle in the first place. Pretty sad when you think about it.

Those last statements are a bit judgmental. Especially when you had just admitted that you had similar experiences and considered it "learning". All of CowCop's pictures are from last Spring (March, April, and May 2004), so can we assume that there have been no more juvenile deaths on his watch, or that he is just holding out to reveal the more amazing cases in the future?
This case is essentially unexplained. Much speculation about bad udder, etc. But anyone who has raised a few cows has seen a cow with a bag like this, or worse, raise a fine calf. So it's unexplained at this point. The calf has an eartag, and has been photographed within roping distance, if he needed some colostrum, doctoring, etc. why didn't he get it? Is that the owner's fault?
Previous case was a genetic mutant, late abortion, or got squished by a member of the (apparently mismanaged) herd.
Case before that was breech or malpresentation, whatever you prefer to call it. Sometimes those die, sometimes they don't. Sometimes a good ranchhand intervenes appropriately and the calf lives.
Regardless, in all of these cases, the care of these cattle had apparently been relinquished from the owner to the ranchhand, in this case, CowCop. Cow Cop is courageous enough to publicize these unusual cases (or management blunders) for all of us to ponder, and we all appreciate that. I'm not clear on why these three cases make the owner (CowCop's boss) "clueless about cattle" or why he/she "shouldn't have had cattle in the first place".
Maybe the owner was clueless about cattle, as you suggest. And maybe he hired the wrong ranchhand to take care of his herd. A man who is handier with a disposable camera than he is with a rope or a syringe. Or maybe CowCop is an exceptional ranchhand who is willing to share his misfortune with others so lessons can be learned, and his boss is a brilliant cattleman for hiring such a brilliant and progressive cattle manager!

 

[CowCop]

Good Morning All,

First let me thank you for all the positive feed back on all the photos.

Secondly, I am NOT the manager of any of these cattle that you will see in my photos. They are of many different herds, and most of the information I provided was garnished from eyewitness accounts or from the owners limited information.

I have my own small herd and when I show photos of them you will know it~!! :lol:

In my opinion, the calving issues seem to be a reflection of the beliefs of an elderly generation of farmers. Those beliefs seem to be:

That a cow MUST give birth AND raise a calf, totally unassisted.

Which is polar opposite to what I believe personally and professionally.

I have learned that it is difficult, if not impossible, to educate, conjole, convince or demonstrate to these elderly farmers that they should assist their cattle. Ownership support is a critical component of change and improvement.

Some of these elderly, frail farmers are physically unable to assist their cattle at all. None have any kids that stayed on the farm.
The management procedures that worked so well for them 20 years ago, can't possibly succeed now because they are unable to be present with their cattle at critical times.

Last Spring everything bad happened at once for several of these, hard working, men.
On top of the loss of cows and calves, some of these farmers have had the public make formal criminal charges against them for cruelty--- based largely on calving issues that were seen from the main road.

What looks like cruelty, abuse, neglect, etc to the below average Joe Public pet owner yuppie, is something entirely different to us---folks with cattle knowlege.

That is where the camera comes in.

Your valuable advice will prevent others from having a bad experience or at least help them in being able to recognize a situation that has already happened.

And oh yes, every cow that had a calving problem is shipped off the farm in a matter of days, if not 24 hours. Those old farmers don't mess with cows that don't get the "job done."

So...if you know of an elderly farmer in your area, please drop in on them and see what you can do to help them a little. it will be a rewarding experience for everyone involved. In most situations, progress can be made, but persistance and patience is an important element.

Many Thanks.

Stay warm,

 

[sidney411]

Thank You CowCop! Your words are so true! There are many oldtimers around here that "have done it the same way for the past 45 years, and ain't gunna chage a thing" They resist change. There are a good many that are in the situation that they can't properly care for their cattle but the don't ask for help untill it is too late or they are hurt badly. That has been the case with a couple of old dairy men. They have ended up bad off in the hospital with no one to tend to the cows.......

 

[TheBullLady]

Sage advice CowCop! In my profession I see tons of cattle as well.. and have witnessed a lot of the same situations you are talking about.

Especially in my "neck of the woods".. there are a lot of the old time farmers you discussed. Giving them some advice instead of being critical is a good suggestion.

 

[dun]

Even though I'm considered one of the old pahrts, I run into the same situation with some ofthese folks. Not all of them are old either, it's just the "That's ho grandad did it syndrome".
My solution is to stear clear of them. I get too POed when I see stupid people doing stupid things, over and over and over, and never ask for help.

dun

 

[docgraybull]

Secondly, I am NOT the manager of any of these cattle that you will see in my photos. They are of many different herds, and most of the information I provided was garnished from eyewitness accounts or from the owners limited information.

My bad, CowCop. I must have misunderstood something along these threads. Still think that GG opining that the owner (which we now know was owners) shouldn't have had cattle in the first place was harshly judgmental. I've enjoyed checking out the pictures and the resulting comentaries.