Finally Lost One

[Bestoutwest]

It was finally our turn to lose a calf. Ever since we started we have had a rough go at it, but we've kept plugging away. We finally got our "herd" (very, very small) all bred and calved out in a year. Heck, we even brought one in the house and saved it about a month ago! We had one on Easter, and things were going pretty well with her. Whenever I fed in the past couple of days, she had been laying down, but looked alert. I came home yesterday and she was layed out like calves will do, but it didn't look abnormal. I fed and she didn't move, but again, young calves have their own agenda and I chalked it up to her having expended energy earlier and was catching up. In the early evening I saw her dam licking her and pushing her with her horns, like she was trying to get her up. We went out and it had labored breathing something wicked. We went in trying to figure out what to do and went back out about 1/2 hour later and she was dead. What's really getting me is that her poor dam is looking for her and seems to be looking to us for help. I've been out there a couple times and she'll come up to me and moo with a panicked look in her eye. And, it was this cow's final year anyway b/c we're getting out of longhorns completely, so she'll be shipped soon as I can find some burger buyers. Those two things are just really pulling my day down. This sucks.

 

[Brute 23]

It always sucks. Had one of our better older cows do the same this year. I hauled her to my heifers. She seems continent. I call her mother goose now.

Why are you selling the cow?

 

[TCRanch]

Sorry to hear that. And it never gets easier. My guess would be pneumonia.

 

[Bestoutwest]

It always sucks. Had one of our better older cows do the same this year. I hauled her to my heifers. She seems continent. I call her mother goose now.

Why are you selling the cow?

We're getting out of LH's. They're just too skinny and not worth it. I'm going to use what I get from her as freezer beef to invest in a heavy bred Angus. I figure if you're going to feed one, you might as well make it worthwhile financially.

 

[Brute 23]

It always sucks. Had one of our better older cows do the same this year. I hauled her to my heifers. She seems continent. I call her mother goose now.

Why are you selling the cow?

We're getting out of LH's. They're just too skinny and not worth it. I'm going to use what I get from her as freezer beef to invest in a heavy bred Angus. I figure if you're going to feed one, you might as well make it worthwhile financially.

For sure. That makes sense.

 

[True Grit Farms]

It was finally our turn to lose a calf. Ever since we started we have had a rough go at it, but we've kept plugging away. We finally got our "herd" (very, very small) all bred and calved out in a year. Heck, we even brought one in the house and saved it about a month ago! We had one on Easter, and things were going pretty well with her. Whenever I fed in the past couple of days, she had been laying down, but looked alert. I came home yesterday and she was layed out like calves will do, but it didn't look abnormal. I fed and she didn't move, but again, young calves have their own agenda and I chalked it up to her having expended energy earlier and was catching up. In the early evening I saw her dam licking her and pushing her with her horns, like she was trying to get her up. We went out and it had labored breathing something wicked. We went in trying to figure out what to do and went back out about 1/2 hour later and she was dead. What's really getting me is that her poor dam is looking for her and seems to be looking to us for help. I've been out there a couple times and she'll come up to me and moo with a panicked look in her eye. And, it was this cow's final year anyway b/c we're getting out of longhorns completely, so she'll be shipped soon as I can find some burger buyers. Those two things are just really pulling my day down. This sucks.

This kind of stuff happens, learn from it and move on. Always check if you suspect something or have a feeling. I don't believe in ESP or whatever the weirdos call it, but I follow my gut instincts. About a month ago I saved a pair of twins that the cow was fighting 50+ Mexican buzzards off of, because something told me to check the cows in the middle of the day. I even stopped at the barn and got the shotgun out of the Kubota for some odd reason.

 

[Bestoutwest]

This kind of stuff happens, learn from it and move on. Always check if you suspect something or have a feeling. I don't believe in ESP or whatever the weirdos call it, but I follow my gut instincts. About a month ago I saved a pair of twins that the cow was fighting 50+ Mexican buzzards off of, because something told me to check the cows in the middle of the day. I even stopped at the barn and got the shotgun out of the Kubota for some odd reason.

This is a big learning experience for us. Glad you were able to save your calf.

 

[True Grit Farms]

This kind of stuff happens, learn from it and move on. Always check if you suspect something or have a feeling. I don't believe in ESP or whatever the weirdos call it, but I follow my gut instincts. About a month ago I saved a pair of twins that the cow was fighting 50+ Mexican buzzards off of, because something told me to check the cows in the middle of the day. I even stopped at the barn and got the shotgun out of the Kubota for some odd reason.

This is a big learning experience for us. Glad you were able to save your calf.

 

[Bright Raven]

It is discouraging. My sympathy to you.

 

[snoopdog]

Dang , it just sucks every time . It's a part of it though , and it makes us thankful for the others I think .

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Sorry this happened. It sucks every time.

 

[MRRherefords]

Worst part of the job by far. Could do without it, but no risk of calves dying means no calves at all, which kind of defeats the purpose.