First taste of bad luck

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marksmu

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Deep South East Texas - Chambers County
Ive always considered myself a pretty lucky person - I am very optimistic, and I think good luck follows those who are optimistic. Well - Friday was an all around bad day. When I went out on Thursday night after work (7pm) to check the cows/calves we just bought last month I noticed one of our younger calves was pretty far behind the herd, and moving slowly. Drove up to her to get a better look at her, and saw her nose was running and she was having trouble breathing...she was able to sprint and catch up to the herd when I got near her, but I could tell she wasnt right. Called up the vet to get his recommendation of treatment, and he told me it sounded like pnemunoia and to treat her accordingly.

Course I didnt have any medicine laying around yet so I had nothing to treat her with. Only other folks I know are my neighbors and of course they are out of town at the time. I decided to work her in the morning when the store opened up and I could get some medicine. Got up early, got the medicine, got out there around 9 - and I couldn't find her. Drove around for an hour - till I finally found her dead up under a big live oak. My first calf to die. Had a feeling of guilt that I was not prepared to treat her when I first noticed she was sick.

So of course I check the rest of the herd - the others all appear fine - eating well, and no other apparent signs of illness. But just to be safe I decide I am going to work them all this weekend and give them a set of vaccinations, worm meds, and a vitamin shot - so I go out to buy the headgate I need. Wind up deciding on the priefert and go out to buy it. Find one in stock bout an hour from my place - go out to pick it up - give it a one over - looks good but you cant work it cause its wired up for transport. Pay for it, and head back to the ranch - unload it - its broken. The side escape hatch has a welded lever that wont catch the locking door hinge because it was welded in the wrong place, and the rubber head gate wheels are cracked and broken, so the gate wont catch on its own.

Must say after a whole day out on the ranch, accomplishing nothing, buying an expensive piece of broken equipment and losing a calf - sure took the wind out of my sail.

The only plus to the whole ordeal is the McCoys is more than cooperative working with me. They are going to send a truck out to get and swap it out with a new one. So I do have to give them credit for being customer friendly.
 
There are definitely days where you start adding up everything in your head and think about cashing it all in. A herd of cows and some land could pay for a lot of vacations.
 
i dont know how many days ive worked and acomplished nothing...you have too enjoy it too be able too get through the bad days.. the buzzard will follow you at times
 
I think there are servicemen in Iraq or Afghanistan right now who would love to trade your day for theirs.

Not that your day wasn't difficult. I find it helps me keep things in perpsective to remember that on a scale of 1 to 10 on the evil things that can happen to you, almost any type of cattle problem is nowhere near a 10, although it may seem like it at the time. Good luck. Jim
 
marksmu":1o6d6peo said:
Ive always considered myself a pretty lucky person - I am very optimistic, and I think good luck follows those who are optimistic.

I am proof that that isn't true. I'm as optimistic as anyone and willing to get things done right but I'll guarantee, if anyone is going to get crapped on it will be me.

Red Bull Breeder":1o6d6peo said:
welcome to the world of cattle. Just when you think nothing else can go wrong the whole dam place will seem to go to he$$.

You got that right.

SRBeef":1o6d6peo said:
When I have days like that I think back to some of my friends in the military who were not as lucky as I was years ago. Without going into details, I'm sure they would gladly have traded my "problems" for theirs at the time.

I think there are servicemen in Iraq or Afghanistan right now who would love to trade your day for theirs.

Not that your day wasn't difficult. I personally find it helps me keep things in perspective to keep in mind that on a scale of 1 to 10 on the evil things that can happen to you, almost any type of cattle problem is nowhere near a 10. It's tough to lose cattle. It's tougher to lose a friend and buddy in some war halfway around the world.

Good luck.

Yep, as bad as one thinks things can get, all you have to do is look around. It sure doesn't take long to realize you really were lucky it wasn't worse.
 
I'm glad I'm pessimistic by nature. I'm never surprised when bad stuff happens - it's just the way it is.

I had a bad day also - started when I went to make a peanut butter sandwich and found we were out of jam....
 
I am grateful for all that I have and I know that I am very fortunate - The optimist in me says when I have a bad day, the next one is usually better, and so I take it with a grain of salt. I am such an animal person though, I just hate to see one die when Im not prepared. At any rate I wont be unprepared a second time. Lesson learned. Hopefully this weekend will be a good one - it sure would be nice to have a bit of a cool down on the day we decide to work all the cows. Im expecting to learn several new lessons this weekend as we put them through the corral for the first time. :)
 
marksmu":3t9bk3k5 said:
I am grateful for all that I have and I know that I am very fortunate - The optimist in me says when I have a bad day, the next one is usually better, and so I take it with a grain of salt. I am such an animal person though, I just hate to see one die when Im not prepared. At any rate I wont be unprepared a second time. Lesson learned. Hopefully this weekend will be a good one - it sure would be nice to have a bit of a cool down on the day we decide to work all the cows. Im expecting to learn several new lessons this weekend as we put them through the corral for the first time. :)
you need too be prepared for any holiday are vacations,,those are the times they like too pick too get sick or calving trouble
 
I'm glad there are more good days then bad. When I have one of those bad days I remind myself. "I'm going to get past this sooner or later, might as well be sooner.
 
djinwa":2yiayxte said:
I'm glad I'm pessimistic by nature. I'm never surprised when bad stuff happens - it's just the way it is.

I had a bad day also - started when I went to make a peanut butter sandwich and found we were out of jam....

Good thing you weren't trying to make a jam sandwich. ;-)
 
TexasBred":2wrdx794 said:
djinwa":2wrdx794 said:
I'm glad I'm pessimistic by nature. I'm never surprised when bad stuff happens - it's just the way it is.

I had a bad day also - started when I went to make a peanut butter sandwich and found we were out of jam....

Good thing you weren't trying to make a jam sandwich. ;-)
whats jam
 
TexasBred":lwx0y72f said:
djinwa":lwx0y72f said:
I'm glad I'm pessimistic by nature. I'm never surprised when bad stuff happens - it's just the way it is.

I had a bad day also - started when I went to make a peanut butter sandwich and found we were out of jam....

Good thing you weren't trying to make a jam sandwich. ;-)

That's exactly what I was thinking after I read that post :lol2: It's hard for me to even imagine a "jam sandwich". It's right in there with curdled milk mixed with raw oysters.

I wouldn't beat myself up over that lost calf, marksmu. Chalk it up to a learning experience as it's happened to alot of us. I finally got a canvas carry bag and stocked it with some common treatment options and have it in the truck most of the time, just in case. It's come in handy a few times.
 
That brings to mind another question? what do you keep in that bag Beefmaster? I'd like to get one too. :cowboy:
 
RICHARDL":23d5169z said:
That brings to mind another question? what do you keep in that bag Beefmaster? I'd like to get one too. :cowboy:

Colostrum, bottle, intubation tube, LA-200, syringes, BoSe, a pour on, an antiseptic, B-Complex, sometimes a pair of wire cutters, ear tags. Mostly things to treat calves and small wounds. Since I don't live on the property, the bag comes in handy every now and then.
 

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